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Lycanthropy is interpreted by the authors as a delusion in the sense of the self-identity disorder defined by Scharfetter. It is mainly found in affective and schizophrenic disorders but can be a symptom of other psychiatric disorders as well. Psychodynamically this kind of delusion can be interpreted as an attempt to project suppressed affects, especially with aggressive or sexual content, into the figure of an animal. Psychotherapy and/or neuroleptic medication can be effective.

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The belief to be transformed into an animal is named Lycanthropy. "Zooanthropismus" is the German equivalent. Three case reports raised the question how this phenomenon, in our cases to be transformed into a frog, a bee or a wolf/dog, can be interpreted in a psychopathological and diagnostic regard. Is it pathognomonic for a special disease? With the three case reports and a survey of the literature this paper deals with Lycanthropy trying to put this perhaps neglected topic back into the focus of psychiatric interest and place it in psychopathology.

We report on the successful treatment of two female patients with the clinical features of severe confusional psychosis. The clinical picture of these cases was characterized by lability of mood, disorientation, delusions, hallucinations, misidentification of persons, severe thought disorder and impaired memory. A 55-year old female inpatient suffered from a psychotic episode with the clinical features of confusional psychosis. Medical history showed three proceeding confusional psychotic episodes. In the second case a 32-year old female inpatient suffered from a severe postpartum psychosis with the clinical features of confusional psychosis. In this case there was no clinical history of psychotic episodes. After nonresponsive treatment with neuroleptics and mood-stabilizers, both responded rapidly to additional medication with clomethiazole within a week, exhibiting a marked reduction in clinical signs and symptoms. A brief review about this delirium-like psychosis and current knowledge of therapeutic strategies is presented. We discuss clomethiazole as a possible potential adjunct in the treatment of confusional psychoses.