Homosexual Erotomania and HIV Infection

Abstract

A case of homosexual erotomania is described in a patient with AIDS-related complex. Direct involvement of the central nervous system was thought an unlikely cause, as specific stressors appeared to have precipitated a reactive psychosis. A psychodynamic understanding of these factors and their interaction with the patient's masochism, fetishism, and personality disorder provided an alternative explanation for the onset of the paranoid illness and its symptom content. The psychodynamic aspects of acute psychotic disorders without evidence of cognitive impairment in patients with HIV infection is a neglected area of study.