PERSISTANT GENITAL AROUSAL DISORDER IN ELDERLY WOMEN: A CASE STUDY

Persistent genital arousal (PGAD) is an unusual, rarely diagnosed but a real problem for some women which causes considerable physical and psychological distress. It is characterized by physiological signs of sexual arousal that persist despite the absence of sexual desire. A number of theories have been proposed and various psychological and medical treatments have been used to treat this condition with varying success.The problem is even more serious with elderly women. In our clinical practice we have met a number of patients with such complains, which we have discussed mostly in terms of depression, panic disorder or SSRI’s application.In our paper we discuss some diagnostic and therapeutic issues and present a case of a 71 years old woman, who experienced distinct symptoms of PGAD for nearly 10 years. She was treated with a number of antidepressants and benzodiazepines without effect. Olanzapine 5 mg at bed time was administered. A good therapeutic response was achieved from the same evening and was held at the hospital stay and afterwards.