The case of a 77-year-old woman first diagnosed with kleptomania is pr
esented to indicate a possible late-onset course of this disorder. Par
ticularly striking about this patient's history of shoplifting behavio
rs was the absence of an onset prior to the age of 73. Her pattern of
stealing did not begin at an early age, and was not sporadic or episod
ic over the course of several years. The treatment course and patient
outcome are discussed in light of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. (C) 1998
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.