[CADASIL: Case report and literature review].
CADASIL,  cerebral  autosomal  dominant  arteriopathy  with  subcortical  infarcts  and  leuko encephalo - pathy, is a rare hereditary disease characterized by recurrent transient ischemic attacks (TIA), strokes,  and vascular dementia. It was first described in 1991 by Tourmier-Lasserve. The causative factor of  CADASIL is mutations of the Notch3 gene located on chromosome 19. About 400 families have been  diagnosed so far. Its clinical manifestations appear for the first time between 30 and 50 years of  age and include attacks of migraine with aura, recurrent ischemic subcortical events, subcortical  dementia and psychiatric disturbances varying from anxiety to severe depression, even psychotic  disorders. Due to the rare incidence of CADASIL, many cases are still misdiagnosed or undiagnosed  and are treated as ordinary psychiatric patients. The existing evidence implies that psychiatric  disturbances and CADASIL co-occur so the possibility of a patient suffering from CADASIL should  be considered in any individual having mental illness and a suggestive family history. This parer  describes the psychiatric approach on a patient presenting anxiety, depression and a family history  of CADASIL, who faces the dilemma of being diagnosed with CADASIL.
Dromokaitio Psychiatric Hospital, Tarsi, Athens.
Kappa
K
Katsafouros
E
E
Finokaliotis
E
E
Rizos
A
A
Papadopoulou
K
K
Sakellaropoulos