Case report of visual hallucinations in anxiety

Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2015 Apr 25;27(2):126-9. doi: 10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.215011.

Abstract

Hallucinations rarely occur in individuals with anxiety disorders. This case report describes a 36-year-old male with Social Phobia and Agoraphobia with Panic Attacks who had prominent visual hallucinations that were both distressing and incapacitating. Treatment with sertraline 200 mg/d, clonazepam 1 mg/d, and propranolol 20 mg/day for one month completely resolved both his anxiety and the hallucinations, after which he was able to return to his social and occupational life. The report underscores the fact that visual hallucinations are not always indicators of a psychotic disorder, they may be present across a spectrum of mental disorders. In cases where hallucinations occur in nonpsychotic disorders, treatment of the underlying condition usually simultaneously resolves the associated hallucinations without the need to resort to the use of antipsychotic medication. Detailed analyses of such unusual cases can help improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of psychotic-like symptoms.

概述: 焦虑障碍患者很少出现幻视。本病例报告描述了一位男性患者,36岁,患有社交恐惧症和伴惊恐发作的广场恐惧症。该患者幻视明显,令其深受困扰、功能受损。用舍曲林200 mg/d、氯硝西泮1mg/d和普萘洛尔20 mg/d治疗一个月后,患者的焦虑和幻视缓解,能继续工作,恢复社会生活。本报告强调这样一个事实,即幻视并不一定预示着精神病性障碍,很多精神障碍都可能出现视幻觉。如果非精神病性障碍患者出现幻视,那么治疗这些非精神病性障碍通常也能同时缓解相关的幻视,而无需使用抗精神病药物。详细分析此类罕见病例有助于加深对精神病样症状的病理机制的认识。.

中文全文: 本文全文中文版从2015年6月6日起在http://dx.doi.org/10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.215011可供免费阅览下载.

Keywords: India; anxiety disorders; case report; visual hallucinations.

Publication types

  • Case Reports