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 of encephalitis characterized by abrupt onset of
bizarre psychological disturbance in the absence of gross neurologic
dysfunction. Each patient was initially diagnosed as schizophrenic but
later became critically ill and recovered only after a long and chaotic
hospital course. The author warns psychiatrists and staff on psychiatric
impatient units against mistakenly diagnosing cases of early encephalitis
as functional psychoses.Abstract Teaser