Diagnosing Urothelial Carcinoma from Delirium: A Near Miss

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common cause of delirium in the elderly. Although diagnosis of delirium secondary to UTI is relatively straightforward, a lack of thorough investigation could result in missing underlying factors and medical conditions that may require immediate clinical/surgical intervention. Case of a 77-year-old male with delirium diagnosis and multiple psychiatric hospital admissions is reported here. This patient with multiple medical disorders and anxiety was admitted to psychiatric facilities on three different occasions with multiple psychiatric diagnoses including delirium. After a month of hospital stay and thorough medical and radiological examinations, the cause of refractory delirium was identified as multifactorial including urothelial carcinoma. Although UTI and urinary retention are common in the elderly, this case shows the importance of multifactorial diagnoses in cases of prolonged or refractory delirium to avoid delays in appropriate treatment.