Syphilophobia: a frustrating psychiatric illness presenting to dermatologists

Abstract

Syphilis becomes an obsession with vulnerable person and thus causes him much suffering and keeps him running from doctor to doctor. The symptoms of syphilis are so varied and so typical of other ailments, that there is not a single person living who cannot find symptoms in himself if he searches closely enough. We present a young patient who was obsessed with the idea of having acquired this sexually transmitted disease. It had caused needless stress and made his life miserable for the last couple of years. After thorough investigations, he was labeled as a case of syphilophobia and was managed with consultation and regular follow up by the psychiatrist.