Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

GATA Haydarpaşa İç Hastalıkları Servisi - İstanbul It results with estrange of elderly people from society when they do not conform their behavior to the requirement of the century. But community usually notices those people when they feel uneasy about them. Thus we aimed to describe our experience in such a case that we have been treating. Case, 65 years old, female and who has been collecting garbage for 5 years, was brought to our department by her neighbors. On her physical examination, it was observed that she was very aggressive, and had bad self-care and dress; her body temperature, heart rate and arterial blood pressure was 38°C, 92 beats/min, and 100/65 mmHg, respectively. Approximately, the entire left breast surface was infiltrated with ulcerated tumor tissue. No pathological findings were found on her general physical examination, except the rales heard at the end of inspiration. There were no abnormal findings in her laboratory data except iron deficiency anemia and leukocytosis. An infiltrative area that was considered to represent pneumonia was determined by chest x-ray. When the patient was diagnosed as having pneumonia, iron deficiency anemia and breast cancer; levofluoxacin 500 mg/d was started and was 4 unites of erythrocyte suspension. According to psychiatry consultation, Diogenes syndrome was diagnosed in the patient, and undertaken to anti-psychotic therapy. The patient diagnosed as metastatic ductal carcinoma in subsequent examination, was operated by surgeons and medicated by oncologists. She has been still staying in rest home. It was thought that developing such a behavioral disturbance in those people. who used to be extremely intellectual in normal life, is a result of insensitivity of the population. Keywords : Diogenes syndrome