Maja Krasowska
Choroba afektywna dwubiegunowa - wyzwanie diagnostyczne. Część I
2007-07-26
Bipolar disorder - diagnostic challenge. Bipolar disorder is a chronic psychiatric illness characterized by recurrent episodes of mania, hypomania, mixed states and depression. Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of medical disability worldwide among people 15 to 44 years of age and is associated with a greater degree of disability than a number of prominent chronic medical conditions. Traditional estimates of the prevalence of the disorder may underestimate the actual disease burden. Accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder is necessary for effective treatment but the illness is often misdiagnosed with negative clinical and economic consequences. Because of its complexity this kind of the mood disorder continues to be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, even for experienced clinicians. Managing patients across both poles of bipolar disorder is one of the most challenging aspects of todayęs psychiatry. The article describes etiology, epidemiology, diagnostic evaluation of a patient with bipolar disorder and complexity of clinical management of bipolar disorder.