General paresis in the psychiatric department of a general hospital in India

Abstract

1. The communication deals with 34 first admission general paretics during the years 1964-1970. 2. There was only one female patient; 24 of the men were between 30 and 50 years, and 29 were married and living with their spouses. 3. While the dementing form occurred in nearly 50 per cent of the cases, the depressed form was never seen. 4. Electroencephalography and pneumoencephalography were not helpful in diagnosis. Cerebral biopsy demonstrated the Treponema pallidum in two cases. 5. Follow-up was possible in 15 cases, and the period varied from 3 to 48 months. The patients were all found to be successfully rehabilitated. In none of these 15 cases did the serological picture in the blood become negative. The CSF became VDRL negative in 8 of these 15 cases. Among the patients who were followed up only one died, a month after the cerebral re-biopsy.