Lycanthropy: A dangerous reverse intermetamorphosis. Review of 23 cases with the syndrome of lycanthropy

The belief in the capacity of human metamorphosis into animal form has been recorded in many cultures. Apart from historic description of lycanthropy, there have been 24 cases described in the medical literature over the past 20 years. MEDLINE and PsychLIT literature searches were conducted. There was a preponderance of male patients. The type of animal that the patients changed into were wolves, dogs, cats, tigers, gerbils, rabbits and birds, several factors have been involved in precipitating the condition. Lycanthropy delusion is one of the dangerous delusions which could lead from aggression up to murder.