The French nosological concept of bouffée délirante (literally “delusional flush or rush”) may define a subgroup of non-affective, acute remitting psychoses with an especially favourable prognosis. To date, relatively little published literature is available about this entity.

To discuss the concept, nosological status, diagnostic features and associated clinical characteristics of bouffée délirante.

A case report of bouffée délirante is described. The concept and clinical features of the condition are reviewed.

A case report is presented in detail and a literature review of the theme is surveyed.

The authors report a case of a 48-year-old woman with no psychiatric background until November 2011 when she developed a sudden onset of persecutory delusions concerning her colleagues and boss. She believed computers and televisions were under their control and that her daughter and husband were in danger. This information was given by the voices she believed to hear. During one week, she developed behavior disturbance that motivated her urgent evaluation. As she was admitted to our department, she showed herself defensive and hostile. During the first day in our ward she described a delusion of Capgras, but the symptoms were rapidly overtook with low doses of antipsychotic.

Bouffée délirante is a historic French diagnostic term used in the past to describe a short-lived psychosis. The term was substituted differently in ICD-10 (described as acute and transient psychotic disorders) and DSM-IV-TR (brief psychotic disorder). The key diagnostic features are acute, floridly psychotic symptoms with complete remission.