Offprint from
,,Diabetologia”, Vol. 6, No. 6, Dezember 1970
p. 621—622
Springer- Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg. New York
© by Springer Verlag 1970
Printed in Germany
Further investigations on the association between diabetes and
psychoses.
B. Bruni. Maria Vittoria Hospita1, Torino, Italy.
From 1960 to 1969
we have extended to a total number of 2670 diabetic patients our
investigations on type and frequency of major psychosis
associated with diabetes. Cases of Bleuler’s aspecific endocrine
psychosyndrome and of neurosis or transient emotional disorders,
as well as of presenile and senile dementia have not been
considered in this study, 12 cases of manic-depressive
psychosis have been collected, after exclusion of involutional
melancholic syndromes; in 2 subjects recurrent manic monopolar
episodes, with striking social reflexes followed. Suicide was
attempted in 1 case, 2 cases of paranoid schizophrenia have been
found: one with ambitious and persecutory delirium, the other
with persecutory delirium and physical delusions; another
patient presented mixed psychosis of schizophrenic-melancholic
type. In regard to the implications of psychosis in the clinical
course of diabetes, we have pointed out two observations: a) one
case which presented a depressive stuporous state and catatonia
causing a false admission-diagnosis of diabetic coma; b) one
case of paranoia showing a progressive worsening of the diabetes
leading to a lethal hyperosmolar non-ketotic coma. Our results
indicate the possible importance of paranoid schizophrenia among
the various psychosis associated with diabetes and may afford
some opportunity of discussion on the metabolic theories of
schizophrenia. The remarkable incidence of cyclothymia in
diabetes might give rise to the old hypothesis of common
endogenous pathogenesis of the two diseases. |