Unmasking Huntington Disease: How a Neuropsychiatric Crisis Overcame Cultural Barriers to a Delayed Diagnosis.

Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor, cognitive, and psychiatric dysfunction. We report the case of a 53-year-old man who presented after a suicide attempt involving pesticide ingestion, following years of worsening choreiform movements, reported cognitive decline, and severe depression. Despite a strong multigenerational family history of similar symptoms, the condition was perceived as a familial "curse," leading to a prolonged reliance on traditional remedies and delayed engagement with biomedical healthcare services. Examination revealed generalized chorea, dysarthria, motor impersistence, and severe depression. Genetic analysis identified 44 CAG repeats in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, confirming the diagnosis of Huntington disease. This case underscores the influence of cultural beliefs on healthcare-seeking behavior, which can delay the diagnosis of hereditary neurological disorders until a psychiatric crisis precipitates medical evaluation and intervention.