Viral encephalopathy mimicking functional psychosis.

摘要: Encephalitis, particularly herpes simplex encephalitis, frequently presents as a disorder with puzzling psychiatric symptoms before frank evidence of central nervous system involvement is apparent. The author describes three cases encephalitis characterized by abrupt onset bizarre psychological disturbance in the absence gross neurologic dysfunction. Each patient was initially diagnosed schizophrenic but later became critically ill and recovered only after long chaotic hospital course. warns psychiatrists staff on impatient units against mistakenly diagnosing early functional psychoses.