Faith, folie à famille and mummification: a brief review of the literature and an extraordinary case report

Folie a deux is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by the transference of delusional ideas from one person to one or moreother people in close association with the primary affected patient. Mummification indicates the preservation of the corpse of a person for avariable period of time. A brief review of the literature in this field is presented, and an exceptional case is described, characterized by the associationof both these rare phenomena. The case is an example of folie a fammille which developed out of a condition of extreme religiousnessand seclusion of an entire family. The shared psychosis led to the horrible death of some of the family members, while the last surviving memberof the family lived for more than a year and a half with their mummified remains. The Judge commissioned a forensic psychiatry assessmentto verify the survivor’s ability to bear witness. The development of the psychiatric syndrome and its consequences are extensivelydiscussed.