Corticosteroid-induced psychosis in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Reports of corticosteroid‐induced psychiatric effects began to appear in the literature soon after the introduction of these medications in the 1950s. Here, the authors present the case of a man who developed psychosis after receiving high‐dose corticosteroid for rheumatoid arthritis. The complex management of his long‐lasting and challenging symptoms is discussed.

Pharmacological Management of Steroid-Induced Psychosis: A Review of Patient Cases

“…The few patient encounters that met inclusion criteria limit the generalizability of the findings of this review; however, it is abundantly clear from this evaluation that steroid-induced psychosis often presents with adjunctive symptomatology beyond the traditional delusions and hallucinations previously mentioned. 18-30 In addition to psychosis, most of the patients included in the review developed other psychiatric symptoms, a finding consistent with other reports in the literature discussing the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms during corticosteroid therapy. 13,31 Although it is not within the scope of this review to quantify definitive risk factors, it is important to note that many of the patients in this review did not have a history of psychiatric illness.…”