Contagious cenesthopathy: A Rare Case of Folie à Deux Hallucinatoire

Background

Folie И deux is typically defined by the transmission of delusional beliefs between closely bonded individuals. In rare instances, hallucinations may also be shared, giving rise to folie à deux hallucinatoire.

Case report

We describe a 45-year-old man with schizophrenia who experienced paranoid delusions, auditory hallucinations, and cenesthetic hallucinations involving bodily distortions, which he attributed to possession by a Jinn. Over time, his wife, with no prior psychiatric history, adopted both his delusional framework and his cenesthetic hallucinations. The patient improved with risperidone, and his wife’s symptoms resolved in parallel.

Conclusion

This is among the few documented cases of shared cenesthetic hallucinations. The case highlights the importance of careful phenomenological assessment, differentiation between hallucinations and somatic delusions, and culturally sensitive management.