Coincidence of schizophrenia and panic disorder

The coincidence between panic disorder and depression is a well known pheno menon. However, only few studies investigated the coincidence;of panic diso rder with schizophrenia. This may in part be explained by the fact that bot h positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia may mask the clinical sym ptoms of a panic disorder. We report on a female patient suffering both fro m agoraphobia with panic disorder and paranoid schizophrenia according to I CD-10. The productive psychotic symptoms responded well to treatment with a low dose of zotepine, whereas the panic disorder was effectively treated w ith a combined therapy with imipramine and cognitive behavioral therapy. Al though it has to be questioned whether the coincidence between panic disord er and schizophrenia reflects two different diagnostic entities, the occurr ence of symptoms of a panic disorder in schizophrenia deserve further atten tion because these may be treated efficiently by a specific pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.