Diogenes syndrome and hoarding in the elderly: Case reports

Presented here are two case reports of elderly persons with Diogenes syndro me (variously known as senile breakdown, social breakdown and senile squalo r syndrome). Diogenes syndrome is often (but not always) characterized by a tendency to hoard excessively (syllogomania). The first patient was diagno sed as having both a schizotypal personality disorder and obsessive-compuls ive disorders (OCD) while the second was diagnosed as having a schizoid per sonality disorder. Only the former demonstrated the tendency to hoard rubbi sh. The Diogenes syndrome in both cases can be hypothesized to be a reactio n to stress in elderly people with certain personality characteristics or a s the end stage of a personality disorder. The hoarding behavior that was m anifested only in the first case can probably be the result of the presence of an OCD. The authors raise the possibility that OCD may be the cause of hoarding rubbish in those cases of Diogenes syndrome in which hoarding exis ts and cannot be explained by psychotic disorders, dementia or any other me ntal disorders due to a general medical condition (GMC) or substance-relate d disorders.