Latent Schizencephaly With Psychotic Phenotype or Schizophrenia With Schizencephaly? A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVES

Although schizencephaly belongs to the class of neurodevelopmental disorders, which are a well-known predisposing factor for psychosis, there is a lack of relevant studies and diagnostic guidelines on this relationship.

METHOD: A case report of first-episode psychosis with persistent negative symptoms associated with schizencephaly is described and compared with 7 other cases found in the literature.

RESULTS

We found perinatal pathology, cognitive deficit, and EEG abnormality in a patient with atypical initial symptoms of psychosis such as olfactory hallucinations. Abnormal EEG findings (left frontal spikes and frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity) called for magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed left parieto-occipital closed-lip schizencephaly. The patient exhibited a partial response to low-dose amisulpride treatment.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that schizencephaly in our patient was at first asymptomatic and later developed into clinically manifest schizophrenia-like disorder. Both magnetic resonance imaging and EEG were essential tools for establishing this diagnosis.