Features of acute and transient psychotic disorders.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD), a diagnostic category introduced with ICD-10.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical and sociodemographic features, course and outcome of ICD-10 ATPD in a prospective and longitudinal study.


METHODS
We recruited all consecutive inpatients fulfilling the ICD-10 criteria of ATPD during a 5-year period. Demographic and clinical features were systematically evaluated and follow-up investigations were carried out at an average of 10 years after onset of the disorder using standardized instruments.


RESULTS
ATPD patients represented 8.5% of all inpatients with non-organic psychotic disorders. ATPD were characterized by female preponderance. In two-thirds of the cases a typical polymorphic symptomatology was found. In spite of the fact that the possibility of relapse within 5 years was high, the psychopathological and social outcome for most of the patients was very favourable. Schizophrenic episodes during follow-up were rare (7.7% of patients), but a strictly monomorphous course (ATPD episodes only) from index episode to the end of the prospective follow-up was found in only 53.9% of the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
ATPD are not a sharply demarcated and unchanging nosological entity. Nevertheless, the present data support a delineation of ATPD as a diagnostic category with specific clinical features and with a usually favourable prognosis. Further research on the topic is necessary.
Marneros
Andreas
A
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06097 Halle, Germany. andreas.marneros@medizin.uni-halle.de
Pillmann
F
F
Haring
A
A
Balzuweit
S
S
Blöink
R
R
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome