Delusional "Pseudotranssexualism" in Schizophrenia
The Summer, 2007 issue of Psychiatry described a case history of a 40-year old male patient with chronic schizophrenia who developed a preoccupation with changing his gender. The authors review relevant literature and concluded that twenty percent of all schizophrenic patients experience sexual delusions at some point during the evolution of their illness (including becoming convinced that they are actually the wrong sex). While true coexistence of schizophrenia and gender identity disorder is rare, disentangling them can be extremely tricky. Considering the irreversible consequences of gender reassignment surgery and the medical and legal implications implications, it is important that these patients be properly diagnosed.
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