The British Journal of Psychiatry 159: 573-575 (1991)
© 1991 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Suspicion of somatoform disorder in undiagnosed tabes dorsalis
CG Fichtner and WW Weddington
Loyola University Medical Center, Hines, Illinois.
We present a case of tabes dorsalis, which consisted of intermittent, sharp
pains and diffuse neurological abnormalities, and was initially considered
to be a somatoform disorder. The unusual behavioural presentations of
neurosyphilis may lead to premature psychiatric diagnoses. It is thus
important that psychiatric consultants be aware of the myriad
manifestations of the disease.