BIPOLAR MOOD DISORDER AND MENTAL RETARDATION COMORBID WITH ARNOLD-CHIARI MALFORMATION: CASE REPORT

Arnold Chiari malformation (ACM) is a rare disorder characterized by downward herniation of the brainstem and cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. To date; three cases have been reported with an anxiety disorder and one case has been reported with a schizophrenia like psychotic disorder comorbid with this malformation. In this report we aimed to present a patient who had surgery for ACM with syringomyelia one year before psychiatric consultation and was hospitalized for lack of compliance to treatment and loss of functioning with exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms to a psychiatric ward. She was diagnosed as having bipolar affective disorder, mixed episode. The medication regimen was as follows: quetiapine 600 mg/day, aripiprazole 30 mg/day, lithium 900 mg/day, propranolol 40 mg/day. The patient was discharged after 8 days of remission.