CAPGRAS SYNDROME AND PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA: CASE REPORT

Abstract

This article aimed to report a case of Capgras Syndrome, a relatively rare psychiatric condition first identified in 1923, characterized by an identity delusion or a delusional belief. In this type of delusion, the affected individual believes that a close person, usually a family member or a close friend, has been replaced by an impostor who appears to be identical or very similar to the original person. The case described in this study was diagnosed in the male psychiatric ward of São Francisco University Hospital (HUSF), located in Bragança Paulista, SP. Additionally, the study included a detailed review of medical records, clinical interviews, and a correlation of the clinical findings with the existing literature on the subject. It highlights the importance of carefully considering the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Capgras Syndrome, mainly due to the risks that the impostor delusion poses to the affected individual and to others around them.