A Case of Ganser's State Presenting as a Dementia Syndrome

Abstract

We report an atypical case of Ganser’s syndrome in a 54-year-old male patient. The following symptoms which include approximate answers, perceptual disturbances and dissociative mechanisms were observed over 7 years, improved during hospitalization, but reappeared just before the patient’s discharge. The extremely long presence and bizarre manifestation of symptoms, the course of the disorder and the patient’s premor-bid high intelligence level point to an unusual presentation of this case. Following the concept of hysteria and dissociation, we discuss its diagnosis within the scope of the DSM-III-R. DSM-IV and ICD-10 classification of Dissociative Disorders. Problems in the differential diagnosis which result from an increasing awareness of Dissociative Disorders are outlined. © 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel.