Peripartum-onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder in women with bipolar disorder – A case series

• The peripartum period is a time of risk for the onset of OCD in women with bipolar disorder.
• Women with bipolar II disorder should be screened for peripartum OCD.
• Women with bipolar disorder and OCD may respond to mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics.

Both pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of high risk for the occurrence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We describe first onset of OCD during or after pregnancy in three women with bipolar II disorder. Two cases had pre-existing diagnosis of bipolar II disorder, and one woman with recurrent major depressive disorder had simultaneous onset of hypomania and obsessive compulsive symptoms in the postpartum period. Clinical challenges in the identification and management of bipolar disorder and comorbid OCD in the peripartum period are discussed.