Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum in a Patient With Schizophrenia

Abstract

The aim of this study is to report the case of a 25-year-old male with a history of schizophrenia who presented involuntarily to the psychiatric emergency department (ED) due to worsening agitation, paranoia, and disorganized behavior concerning a psychotic episode. During medical clearance to rule out acute organic causes of altered mental status prior to admission, the patient was found to have agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) on CT of the brain. ACC is a rare congenital disorder characterized by the partial or complete absence of the commissural pathway that connects the two cerebral hemispheres. This case presents a thought-provoking incidental anatomical finding in a patient with an acute exacerbation of chronic schizophrenia and allows for further discussion about the prevalence of undiagnosed malformations and possible underlying genetic contributions in patients with chronic mental illness.