Journal of International Psychiatry

[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the clinical features and diagnosis of neurosyphilis starting with mental symptoms. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 32 cases of neurosyphilis. Results: The number of patients with neurosyphilis starting with Psychiatric symptoms is increasing while the age of patients becomes younger. Because of the complex, no characteristic, and constantly changing of clinical symptom, Neurosyphilis is extremely easy to be misdiagnosed as functional mental disorder. Conclusion: The key to reduce misdiagnosis rate of neurosyphilis is to definite the epidemiological characteristics, give careful physical examination and laboratory screening to patients, collect detailed medical history and master the clinical symptoms.

[Key Words] Neurosyphilis；Mental symptom；Misdiagnose