Neurosyphilis presenting as psychiatric symptoms: an unusual case report.

Objective: Neurosyphilis remains a differential diagnosis for a wide variety of psychiatric syndromes, including dementia, mood disorders and psychosis. However, the incidence of neurosyphilis presenting initially with psychiatric symptomalogy is unclear. In this article, a clinical case is reported so as to illustrate some of the issues involved.

Delirium-associated disulfiram and ethanol interactions.

Background: Disulfiram, an agent used for the treatment of alcohol dependence, can exacerbate psychiatric syndromes (including psychosis, catatonia, delirium, depression, and mania) after extended use. However, delirium has yet to be reported following the short-term use of disulfiram in the setting of alcohol use.

Objectives: We report a case with a neuropsychiatric presentation and discuss the prevention and the progression of delirium associated with an interaction of disulfiram and ethanol.

Major depressive disorder with psychotic features induced by interferon-alpha treatment for hepatitis C in a polydrug abuser.

Infectious diseases, especially hepatitis C, are prevalent among drug abusers. Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is the pharmacological treatment of choice for this condition. Patients being treated with IFN-alpha can be expected to experience such psychiatric side-effects as development of depression, mania, irritability, changes in personality, hallucinations or delirium.

Affective distress and fibromyalgia.

Principles: Elevated rates of lifetime and current psychiatric disorders, elevations of psychological self-report measures assessing depression, anxiety and hypochondriasis have been reported in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients as well as studies refuting these findings. Studies comparing FMS patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients provide discrepant data. The aim of this paper is to compare FMS patients with RA patients and healthy controls with respect to psychological measures in a case control design.

Childhood trauma in alcoholics.

Aims: Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between childhood trauma and alcoholism. In this study 80 alcoholics were chosen according to their hospitalization order. The control group consisted of 60 subjects, with no history of alcohol use, matched with the patient group in age and sex.

[Ecchymosis associated with the use of fluoxetine: case report].

Unlabelled: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) are well established in psychopharmacological therapy. SSRIs have been shown to be very effective in the treatment of depressive, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders and have a favorable side effect profile. Although bleeding events are rare, there may be potentially severe hematologic complications following treatment with SSRIs.