Abstract :
Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, a procedure that affects the patient’s psychological equilibrium and makes her more vulnerable to multiple psychiatric disorders. We present the case of a 52-year-old woman who underwent hysterectomy due to dysfunctional uterine bleeding. One day after her hysterectomy, she became very concerned about urinary incontinence. This concern grew in intensity, and she accordingly developed several cleaning rituals. These cleaning rituals significantly impaired her functionalities. With time, her obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms intensified and began to involve multiple situations. She scored 26 on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), which indicates moderate OCD. Thereafter, she was started on 20 mg of fluoxetine/day. Many possible explanations for the development of OCD following hysterectomy have been suggested. The featured case underscored the importance of timely psychiatric diagnosis and treatment following gynecological surgeries that affect the female equilibrium.
