A clinical lesson: glioblastoma multiforme masquerading as depression in a chronic alcoholic.
OBJECTIVE
To highlight the need to consider other medical conditions when the presentation initially appears to be alcohol-related.


METHODS
We report the case of a 34-year-old male alcoholic, who presented with clinical depression and later a delirious state, and was subsequently diagnosed to have a right frontal glioblastoma multiforme.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric patients, especially alcoholics, may present with physical and neurological symptoms in the emergency department, which are linked by the examiner to the toxic effects of alcohol. However, consideration should be given to the possibility that the symptoms are due to other severe medical conditions.
Habermeyer
Benedikt
B
Psychiatric University Clinic, University of Basel, Switzerland. benedikt.habermeyer@upkbs.ch
Weiland
Marcus
M
Mager
Ralf
R
Wiesbeck
Gerhard A
GA
Wurst
Friedrich M
FM
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male