CYCLIC PSYCHOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MENSTRUAL-CYCLE

Psychotic symptoms are not included under accepted definitions of prem enstrual syndrome (PMS). We present a 14-year-old girl with PMS, who d eveloped a late luteal cyclic psychosis during two consecutive premens trual periods, which resolved completely after the onset of menses. Sh e was treated with dehydroxyprogesterone for two cycles, and later wit h placebo for the next three consecutive cycles. Psychotic symptoms di d not reappear following two psychotic cycles, and the PMS resolved wi thin the next menstrual cycle. We suggest that cyclic psychoses associ ated with the menstrual cycle may be a specific benign entity, not inc luded under the recognised functional psychoses. In some cases these p sychoses could be classified as a subgroup of PMS.