Differential Diagnoses: Encephalopathy or Psychosis?
by Malathi Latha Perugula, MD, and Steven Lippmann, MD
The authors are from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky.
Innov Clin Neurosci. 2016;13(11–12):41–42
This column series compares neurological conditions that pose differential challenges in diagnoses.
Funding: No funding was provided for the preparation of this article.
Financial disclosures: The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this article.
Introduction
Encephalopathy and psychosis are two separate mental states that are both characterized by symptoms of paranoia, to varying degrees, but that’s about where the similarity ends. Here we present a checklist of symptoms and characteristics of both disorders for use as a diagnostic aid (See Checklist), as well as etiology and treatment.
Etiology: Encephalopathy vs. Psychosis
Encephalopathy is most commonly caused by the following:
Organ failure (e.g., renal, hepatic, pulmonary, hypoxia, hypercapnia)
Infection: Systemic (e.g., urinary tract, pneumonia) or involving the central nervous system (e.g., meningitis, encephalitis), bacterial, viral, parasitic, or prions, especially with high fever
Disorders of the thyroid, adrenal, pituitary, or related glands
Toxicity or withdrawal (e.g., alcohol, salicylates, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, tricyclic antidepressant or antipsychotic medications, poisons, organophosphates, hydrocarbons, recreational drugs, medicin...
Source: Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Authors: ICN Online Editor Tags: CNS Infections Current Issue Differential Diagnoses Medical Issues Mental Disorders Neuro oncology Neurologic Systems and Symptoms Neurology Psychiatry Schizophrenia Substance Use Disorders encephalopathy psychosis Source Type: research
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