Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
- Cited by SciELO
Related links
- Similars in SciELO
Share
Revista de Neuro-Psiquiatría
Print version ISSN 0034-8597
Abstract
CASTRO MOSCOSO, Andrea; ALIAGA VARGAS, César and MAMANI GUERRA, Alejandro. Psychiatric manifestations of neurosyphilis: A case report of progressive general paralysis. Rev Neuropsiquiatr [online]. 2018, vol.81, n.3, pp.209-214. ISSN 0034-8597. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.20453/rnp.v81i3.3389.
Although neurosyphilis is infrequently seen nowadays, it cannot be said that it has disappeared. The psychiatric manifestations of syphilis-related progressive general paralysis can adopt a wide variety of presentations, including psychosis, mania and dementia. The case of a 56-year-old male patient is presented; it has an insidious onset of delusions of damage and grandiosity, auditory hallucinations and behavioral changes such as increased impulsivity and aggressiveness. Serological and cerebrospinal fluid laboratory analyses revealed the presence of Treponema pallidum. The patient received antibiotic and psychopharmacological treatment, showing significant improvement of all his symptoms. This case emphasizes the importance of ruling out neurosyphilis in the presence of pleomorphic or atypical psychiatric manifestations of atypical clinical course as well as a decline of superior mental functions.
Keywords : Neurosyphilis; progressive general paralysis; differential diagnoses.