Delusional disorder — MCQs

A 24-year-old woman presents with her husband to a physician with the complaints of fever, cough, and cold for the past 5 days. When the physician asks her if she has taken any medication for her symptoms, she answers, “My husband and I possess great powers to heal sickness. So I tried to cure my symptoms with my power. However, due to some divine cause, it did not work this time, so I thought I should seek medical advice”. Upon asking her husband about this, he says, "I have always had an immense ability to heal others through my powerful thoughts. It is only after I married her that she came to realize the powers within herself.” The physician examines her and prescribes appropriate medications for her symptoms. A year later, the woman presents again to the same physician with a cough and cold for 2 days. The physician asks her why did she not use her ‘power’ this time. She replies, “I separated from my husband 6 months ago, and I no longer believe that I nor my husband had any special power.” The woman denies any hallucinations, mood disturbances, and socio-occupational impairment to date. Which of the following conditions was this patient most likely suffering from?

A 44-year-old man is brought to the clinic by his wife insisting that her husband has been acting strange lately. He is a dentist by profession and has no known medical conditions. For the past 6 weeks, he has insisted on listening to the 6 PM news on the radio. He is adamant that the news anchor is referencing his life during the broadcasts. Apart from this, his wife states that her husband is fine. He and his wife deny the use of any prescribed medications or illicit drugs. He is a non-smoker and drinks alcohol only on social occasions. Physical examination and routine laboratory investigations are normal. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A 45-year-old man visits a psychiatrist with his wife asking for help with their ongoing family problem. The couple has been married for 20 years and the last 2 months the patient is fully convinced that his wife is cheating on him. He has hired numerous private investigators, who deny any such evidence for an extramarital affair. This persistent belief has begun to stress both sides of the family. The spouse has never in the past nor currently shown any evidence of infidelity. He is still able to hold a steady job and provide for his 2 children. Which of the following statements below is a diagnostic criterion for the above condition?

Two dizygotic twins present to the university clinic because they believe they are being poisoned through the school's cafeteria food. They have brought these concerns up in the past, but no other students or cafeteria staff support this belief. Both of them are average students with strong and weak subject areas as demonstrated by their course grade-books. They have no known medical conditions and are not known to abuse illicit substances. Which statement best describes the condition these patients have?

A 21-year-old woman is brought by her mother to a psychiatrist due to concerns about her behavior. The patient’s mother tells the psychiatrist that she believes that a famous Hollywood celebrity actor loves her and will marry her. When the patient is asked about this, she says that she attended a function at which this actor was the guest of honor six months back, and he waved his hand at her by which she understood that he loves her. However, when she tries to contact him over the phone, he does not respond, which she says is probably because he is too busy with his career at present. When asked why the successful actor would marry her, she says, “Celebrities often prefer to marry ordinary people and that is why he expressed his interest in me that day”. The patient is otherwise healthy with no known medical condition. She denies any mood disturbances, hallucinations, or anxiety. She is currently working as an assistant manager at a private advertising firm and has a normal socio-occupational life. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A 27-year-old man presents to his primary care physician for exposure to toxic materials. The patient states that when he left for work this morning he was certain that he had closed the door to his pantry. However, upon returning home, he saw that the door to his pantry was wide open. The patient is certain that his neighbors have been tampering with his food and potentially poisoned him. He further states that he has known, ever since they have moved in, that they have been trying to break into his house and steal his things. He has tried multiple times to get them evicted from the building to no avail. It is for this reason that he is certain that they are trying to get their revenge upon him. The physician performs a physical exam and tells the patient that he thinks there is nothing to be concerned about, but that he should call him or come into the office if he experiences any symptoms. The patient is outraged at this news and requests a competent doctor who is not colluding with his enemies. He storms out of the office angrily, stating that he deserves the best in medical care, not this. Which of the following is the most likely personality disorder that this patient is suffering from?

A 53-year-old man is brought into the emergency department by ambulance. He was found stumbling in the street. He smells of alcohol and has difficulty answering any questions or giving any history about recent events. He is diagnosed with acute ethanol intoxication. After a night of IV fluid and sleep, he recovers and becomes talkative. He describes an outlandish personal history as a war hero, a movie star, and a famous professor. On physical examination, the patient is malnourished, thin, disheveled, and mildly agitated. He has temporal wasting and conjunctival pallor. Which of the following symptoms would not improve with aggressive therapy including thiamine in this patient?

A 21-year-old college student comes to the physician because of left knee pain. The pain started when he fell off his bike one year ago; since then he has had intermittent stabbing pain and tingling in his knee. The patient says that the pain is caused by a device that was implanted by the US government to control his thoughts and actions. Every time he does something they do not want him to do, the device will send an electromagnetic impulse to his knee. He maintains the device was also responsible for the bicycle accident. Over the past 6 months, it has caused him to hear voices telling him to harm himself or others; he does not listen to these commands because he does not want to “play by their rules.” He has avoided meeting his family and friends since the voices started. He drinks 2 beers a day but does not use illicit drugs. Vital signs are within normal limits. The left knee is nontender and nonerythematous with no swelling. Range of motion is normal. Neurologic examination shows no abnormalities. On mental status examination, the patient appears expressionless. Which of the following is the most appropriate long-term treatment?

A 35-year-old woman is brought to the inpatient psychiatric unit by the police after she was found violating the conditions of her restraining order by parking on the side street of her "lover’s" home every night for the past week. Her "lover", a famous hometown celebrity, has adamantly denied any relationship with the patient over the past 6 months. The patient insists that ever since he signed a copy of his album at a local signing, she knew they were in love. Despite him having his own wife and children, the patient insists that he is in love with her and goes to his house to meet in secret. Physical examination of the patient is unremarkable. Urine toxicology is negative. Which of the following statements best describes this patient’s condition?

A 46-year-old woman presents to a psychiatrist for evaluation. Three months prior, the patient moved to a new apartment building, and since then, she has become increasingly convinced that her doorman has been stealing her packages and going into her apartment while she is not home. She states that objects do not stay where she leaves them, and sometimes she expects mail but never receives it. She has filed numerous complaints with her leasing company. The building has 24-hour security footage, however, which has never shown any other person entering her apartment. On further questioning, the patient denies audiovisual hallucinations or changes in sleep, mood, energy levels, or eating. The family reports that her behavior and affect have not changed. The patient works as a pharmacist. She has no psychiatric history, although her father had a history of major depressive disorder. Which of the following is the likely diagnosis?