Psychiatric manifestation of chronic subdural hematoma: The unfolding of mystery in a homeless patient

• Main Authors: Sujita Kumar Kar, Deepak Kumar, Paramjeet Singh, Pankaj Kumar Upadhyay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2015-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine
• Subjects: Chronic subdural hematoma; extrapyramidal side effects; neuroimaging; psychosis
• Online Access: http://www.ijpm.info/article.asp?issn=0253-7176;year=2015;volume=37;issue=2;spage=239;epage=242;aulast=Kar

The clinical manifestation of chronic subdural hematoma is not limited to neurological deficits or cognitive impairment. It may present with behavioral abnormalities. When the behavioral abnormalities present without obvious neurological deficits and in the absence of trauma, it leads to misdiagnosis. A trivial trauma may cause intracranial bleed that is either missed or ignored in the clinical history. This case report highlights the clinical picture of a homeless patient who presented with withdrawn and disorganized behavior, apathy and poverty of speech in the absence of any neurological deficit. His clinical presentation led to a possibility of psychosis and he was started on antipsychotics. He had developed extrapyramidal side effects in low dose of antipsychotic without any clinical benefit in his clinical picture. Neuroimaging done to rule out any possible organicity-revealed bilateral subdural hematoma, which was later evacuated by neurosurgical intervention in multiple settings and the patient had improved. This case report unfolds the mystery behind the psychotic presentation in a homeless adult.