Summary and Conclusions
-
1.
Of 36 patients with general paresis, 18 were treated with penicillin-malaria and 18 with penicillin alone.
-
2.
Choice and methods of treatment, as well as complications, were described.
-
3.
The prognosis in the series presented was found to depend mainly on (a) duration of symptoms, (b) degree of intellectual impairment, (c) type of psychosis, (d) combination with tabes, (e) age. These findings confirm often-reported observations by others.
-
4.
Satisfactory clinical results (much improved and improved) were achieved in 61.1 per cent (11 patients) treated with penicillinmalaria and 27.7 per cent (five patients) treated with penicillin alone. Satisfactory serologic results (available for 33 patients only) were obtained in 94.1 per cent (16 of 17 patients) in the combined group and in 81.2 per cent (13 of 16 patients) in the penicillin-alone group.
-
5.
The clinical failure rate was 22.2 per cent (four patients) for the patients treated with penicillin-malaria and 38.8 per cent (seven patients) for the patients treated with penicillin alone; the serologic failure rate was 5.8 per cent (one of 17 patients) and 18.7 per cent (three of 16 patients) respectively.
-
6.
Some superiority of the combined treatment remains even after allowance has been made for factors rendering the composition of the group treated with penicillin-malaria more favorable. Penicillin alone, however, outranks the combined treatment with regard to safety, lack of complications, and ease of administration.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rose, A. S.: Carolina Med. J., 10:469, 1949.
Curtis, A. C.; Horne, S. F.; and Norton, D. H. Neurosyphilis: Evaluation after two years of treatment with penicillin alone and with combination of penicillin and malaria. Am. J. Syph., Gon., and Ven. Dis., 32:546, 1948.
Goldman, Douglas: Neurosyphilis treated with penicillin. Report of 140 cases. J. A. M. A., 141:431, October 15, 1949.
Watson, J. B.: Neurosyphilis: Penicillin and malarial fever therapy versus penicillin and vaccine (typhoid) fever therapy. Arch. Dermatol. and Syph., 59:86, 1949.
Kierland, R. R.; O'Leary, P. A.; and Underwood, L. J.: The treatment of neurosyphilis with a combination of malaria and penicillin. Am. J. Syph., Gon. and Ven. Dis., 32:470, September 1948.
Spiller, W. F., and Stewart, J.: Neurosyphilis: Comparative treatment with penicillin alone and penicillin plus malaria. J. Invest. Dermat., 14:121, February 1950.
Dattner, B.: Treatment of neurosyphilis with penicillin alone. Am. J. Syph., Gon. and Ven. Dis., 32:399, July 1948.
Thomas, Evan W.: Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med., 25:505, 1949.
Stokes, J. F.; Falk, M. S.; and Gammon, G. D.: Long term results in neurosyphilis treated with penicillin. Am. J. Syph., Gon. and Ven. Dis., 32:521, 1948.
Parkhurst, G. E., and Bowman, R. D.: Treatment of neurosyphilis at Host Springs Medical Center (Arkansas). J. Ven. Dis. Inform., 29:159, 1948.
Weickardt G. D.: Penicillin therapy in general paresis. Am. J. Psychiat., 105:63, 1948.
Curtis, A. C., et al.: In, Latest Advances in the Study of Venereal Diseases: A Symposium. Held under auspices of the Experimental Therapeutics Study Section, National Institutes of Health, U. S. Public Health Service, Washington, D. C., April 27–28, 1950.
Sternberg, T. H., et al.: In, Latest Advances in the Study of Venereal Diseases. Vide supra.
Kopp, I.; Rose, A. S.; and Solomon, H. C.: The treatment of late symptomatic neurosyphilis at the Boston Psychopathic Hospital. Am. J. Syph., Gon. and Ven. Dis., 32:509, 1948.
Landau, D.; Kopp, I.; Rose, A. S.; and Solomon, H. C.: Penicillin treatment of late neurosyphilis—one to five years follow-up with special reference to clinical failures. Am. J. Syph., Gon. and Ven. Dis., 33:357, July 1949.
Dattner, Bernhard: The Management of Neurosyphilis. Grune & Stratton. New York. 1944.
Grover, R. W.: The evaluation of treatment of paretic neurosyphilis. Am. J. Syph., Gon. and Ven. Dis., 32:461, 1948.
Rose, A. S.: Neurosyphilis. Am. J. Psychiat., 105:517, 1949.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cohn, W.M. Observations on 36 patients with general paresis treated with penicillin-malaria and penicillin alone. Psych Quar 27, 637–649 (1953). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01562514
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01562514