PSEUDOTUMOR CEREBRI, PSYCHOSIS, AND HYPERVITAMINOSIS A

Abstract

This is a report of the first documented neuropsychiatric presentation of hypervitaminosis A. The patient was an 18-year-old female without antecedent nervous system disease. Previous case reports have documented a small number of adults in which vitamin A toxicity has led to pseudotumor cerebri. All have had prominent and early involvement of related organ systems, i.e., dermatologic and hematologic. None have presented with primarily neurologic or psychiatric involvement. In the present communication, the development of a severe toxic psychotic reaction followed almost immediately by pseudotumor with resolution of both entities upon cessation of vitamin A establishes, we believe, vitamin A as an exogenous agent capable of closely imitating primary psychiatric disease.