Acute psychotic episode in a patient with HIV encephalopathy

Abstract

We present a case of a 29 year-old man who developed his first acute psychotic episode in the context of a HIV infection Stage 3 complicated with leukoencephalopathy. Both the infection and the cerebral complications were discovered during his two weeks hospitalization in the Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry ”Prof. Dr. Al. Obregia” since January 4th to January 19th 2017, the final diagnosis being of acute organic psychosis associated to HIV infection. The most frequent psychiatric symptoms related to HIV infection are dementia and depression. Even if secondary psychosis associated with HIV leukoencephalopathy is not common, this diagnosis must be taken into consideration when a psychotic patient presents to the on call room, especially if risk factors are associated.