Nowadays, the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder (BD) have been changed. We need a better awareness about BD-another psychiatry diseases correlation for a good clinical practice. The authors conducted a non-systematic review about some diagnostic topics in BD: a) history, b) bipolar spectrum, c) atypical depression and hysterical disforia, d) mixed states, e) BD and anxious disorders comorbidity, f) BD and borderline personality disorder relationship, g) bipolar spectrum contest. The BD has been investigated since Hypocrites time. The studies based on Akiskal's ideas put the BD diagnostic beyond the common diagnostics criteria, establishing a new entity called bipolar spectrum. The high prevalence of comorbidity between BD and anxious disorders perhaps confirm the evidence that they share a same neurobiological substratum. There is no consensus and we realize that our diagnostics methods are fragile. However, this review point that the BD must be considered a differential diagnostic in clinical practice.
Bipolar disorder; diagnostic; criteria; comorbidity
