Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case histories — John Shaqi
Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case historiesSouthard, Elmer Ernest
Science
Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case histories
Southard, Elmer Ernest
Neurosyphilis
3. Would not a circular course or recurrence of attacks be decisive
for manic-depressive psychosis? Paretic neurosyphilis sometimes
exhibits the same circular or recurrent course. We conclude that
neither the clinical symptoms, the classical pupillary and speech
signs, nor the ups and downs of a particular disease, are at all
decisive as between manic-depressive psychosis and paretic
neurosyphilis. Resort must be had to laboratory tests.
4. What is the significance of the high blood pressure in paretic
neurosyphilis? Work from our laboratory (Southard and Canavan) has
shown plasma cells in the kidneys in 17 out of 30 paretics (56%),
and in 16 of these 17 paretics with renal plasmocytosis, the
plasma cells were found in the periglomerular region. What the
relation of these findings may be to heightened blood pressure is
as yet unknown. The severe syphilitic involvement of the aorta so
characteristic in paretic neurosyphilis, as in other forms, may
possibly have a bearing on blood pressure.
=A POSITIVE SERUM WASSERMANN REACTION associated with mental
symptoms (even with grandiosity) does NOT prove the EXISTENCE OF
PARETIC NEUROSYPHILIS (“general paresis”).=
=Case 11.= Juliette Lachine came to a general hospital with pain in the
right upper quadrant of the abdomen, wherein was found an enlarged
liver. This liver was regarded as syphilitic on the ground that the
patient had a positive serum W. R. and that her two elder children were
clearly suffering from congenital syphilis. The liver mass was promptly
reduced by antisyphilitic treatment of the classical sort. When,
however, the patient was given an injection of salvarsan, she shortly
began to develop marked mental symptoms, whereupon she was removed to
the Psychopathic Hospital.
The =mental picture= at the Psychopathic Hospital was as follows: Lack
of orientation for time, marked distractibility of attention, with a
certain jumping from one subject to another, delusions of a religious
nature, claims of wonderful powers possessed by the patient, moods
variable, though as a rule of a euphoric and elated nature, with
laughing and singing. The activity seemed to be of a mental rather than
a peripheral nature. The patient did not regard herself as mentally
abnormal. The liver was still 4 cm. below the costal margin in the
nipple line. We found the W. R. to be positive in the serum but negative
in the spinal fluid. In fact, the spinal fluid was entirely negative.
So far as we are aware the picture presented by this case is one of
MANIC-DEPRESSIVE PSYCHOSIS. We regard the disease as merely complicating
the syphilis, although it is entirely possible that some visceral
condition incidental to the syphilis might be proved (in a higher stage
of psychiatric science) to have produced the mania.
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