Resolution Of Mysophobia Following Resection Of Large Sphenoid Wing Meningioma

Mysophobia is a variant of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by intense fear of germs, dirt or contamination accompanied by behaviors to decrease contamination and exposure. While brain tumors, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and strokes have been demonstrated in patients with OCD and implicate abnormal function in the left frontotemporal regions, our review found no cases of mysophobia associated with structural lesions. Meningiomas are one of the most common forms of brain tumors and are more frequently diagnosed in women. We describe a woman with a three-year history of severe mysophobia found to have a large, left sphenoid wing meningioma. Following complete surgical resection and improvement in the mass effect on the frontal and temporal lobes, her mysophobia resolved completely and has remained in complete remission for almost 3 years.