Case report: Clinical lycanthropy in Huntington's disease

We describe the case of a patient diagnosed with Huntington's disease (HD), who, following a two-year history of anxiety with obsessional preoccupations, developed psychosis with clinical lycanthropy: a prominent delusional idea that he was a werewolf. Although there was no benefit from various antidepressants and antipsychotics, there was remarkable improvement of his symptoms following prescription of Clozapine. His choreiform movement disorder also improved as his mental state settled. Although some reported cases of clinical lycanthropy are related to neurological conditions, this is the first case in a patient with HD. We also discuss the relevance of cultural and personal factors in the expression of a delusion that incorporates disgust, and the potential role of somatosensory aberrations and misidentification of self.

Automated summary

We present a case of a patient with Huntington's disease who developed clinical lycanthropy, a delusion of being a werewolf, following a history of anxiety and obsessive preoccupations. The patient did not respond to typical treatment options but showed remarkable improvement with Clozapine. This is the first reported case of clinical lycanthropy in a patient with Huntington's disease, highlighting the potential role of cultural and personal factors in the manifestation of this delusion.