Background: Diogenes syndrome (DS) is characterized by extreme self-neglect, domestic squalor, and social withdrawal. Despite having been described decades ago, it is still difficult to persue a correct diagnosis in primary care clinics.
Methods: This paper reports a case of an elderly man with extreme self neglect and an abnormal collecting pattern whose condition remained undetected for many years. His collectionism was manifested with a tendency to store items in an organized manner but without a clear purpose.
Conclusion: The authors suggest that the presence of collectionism could be a helpful clue towards diagnosis of DS in similar cases.
(c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.