General paralysis in a tropical country. Study of 43 observations

Description: The authors report a study of 43 cases of general paralysis revealed by some mental disorders and atypical forms notably repeater confessional disorders and some seizure-like attacks. Objective: The goal of this study is to revalue this pathology from the clinical and paraclinic point of view in tropical medium. Method: In this prospective study, the diagnosis was based on the serologic tests (VDRL-TPHA) in the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); CSF cell count with lymphocyte predominance; protein level in the fluid. Result: The diagnosis was based on the serologic tests (VDRL-TPHA) in the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid(CSF); high CSF cell count with lymphocyte predominance; high protein level in the fluid. The cogniture and motor troubles, the repeated confusion status and the epileptic seizures constitute the dominant clinical forms of the onset. In all the patients, the CT-scan revealed discrete diffuse ventricular dilation and widening of the grooves of the convexity. The electroencephalographic traces were abnormal in 67% of the cases.