title: Neurosyphilis in psychiatric practice: a case-based discussion of clinical evaluation and diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neurosyphilis can present with a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Hence, psychiatrists need to be familiar with tests for syphilis screening and how to interpret syphilis serologic tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present four cases of patients with positive syphilis tests encountered in a psychiatric hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two cases were treated for neurosyphilis, while the other two cases did not have active syphilis infection despite positive results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We thus highlight the challenges encountered by psychiatrists in screening for and diagnosing cases of neurosyphilis.
authors.affiliation: MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychopharmacology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 15 Parkman Street, Wang, 812, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gatchel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: blegesse@partners.org.
authors.forename: Benalfew
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Legesse
authors.affiliation: King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Safwan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tayeb
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Traumatic Brain Injury Service, Manchester VA Medical Center, Manchester, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis
keywords: Neurosyphilis; Psychotic disorder; RPR; Tabes dorsalis