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A follow-up study of patients diagnosed as suffering from presenile dementia has revealed a high incidence of erroneous diagnoses. Of 52 patients discharged from hospital with this diagnosis, information was obtained 5-15 years later on 51. Eighteen were alive and the diagnosis was rejected in 16 (31 per cent). Possible reasons for the mistaken diagnoses are discussed.
Ron et al. (1979) studied this question.