PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EROTOMANIA - IS THE DISTINCTION WORTHWHILE

Objective: To examine the phenomenology of erotomania and to discuss t he relevance of its classification into primary and secondary forms. M ethod: Two case reports are presented. Both were female, non-Irish nat ionals who travelled to Ireland expressly to pursue their objects, who were both members of an internationally famous rock band. Case 1 and Case 2 are presented as primary and secondary erotomania, respectfully , Result: The difficulty in distinguishing primary from secondary erot omania is discussed; the modern literature is referred to, which appea rs to be divided about the status of the primary form of this disorder as a distinct entity, Conclusion: Until further advances are made in elucidating mental disorders, diagnosis will remain symptom-based, lea ving diagnostic formulations somewhat over-crowded with syndromes of u ndetermined aetiology. Such is the case with erotomania.