Past Issues
Apathetic Affect as Early Sign of Frontal Lobe Tumor in Patient
without Obvious Neurological Findings but with Remarkable
Psychosocial Stressors
Wei-Lieh Huang, Chih-Min Liu, Shih-Cheng Liao
Background: Whether a brain tumor can be effi ciently detected by psychopathology
is an important issue for psychiatrists. Case Report: We present was a 44-
year-old male patient who showed apathetic affect after suffering from psychosocial
stressors. He was diagnosed as a depressive disorder for a time due to not
having obvious neurological signs at his fi rst psychiatric clinic visit, but imaging
studies fi nally revealed the fi nding of a huge glioblastoma multiforme. Conclusion:
This case report shows that apathetic affect can be an early sign of a frontal
lobe tumor, which may be found before the development of defi nite neurological
signs. In patients with both remarkable psychosocial stressors and atypical clinical
presentations, brain tumor is still a diagnosis of concern and should not be underestimated
or overlooked.
is an important issue for psychiatrists. Case Report: We present was a 44-
year-old male patient who showed apathetic affect after suffering from psychosocial
stressors. He was diagnosed as a depressive disorder for a time due to not
having obvious neurological signs at his fi rst psychiatric clinic visit, but imaging
studies fi nally revealed the fi nding of a huge glioblastoma multiforme. Conclusion:
This case report shows that apathetic affect can be an early sign of a frontal
lobe tumor, which may be found before the development of defi nite neurological
signs. In patients with both remarkable psychosocial stressors and atypical clinical
presentations, brain tumor is still a diagnosis of concern and should not be underestimated
or overlooked.
| Key Word | frontal lobe tumor, apathetic affect, psychosocial stressor, neuroimaging |
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