Ulysses syndrome: unnecessary investigation in older people

Ulysses syndrome is the name attributed to needless investigations conducted as a result of false-positive test results. Pathogenesis of this syndrome lies in over-investigation due to mass screening, uncritical examination, misinterpretation of results, and chance findings. In elderly patients, results may be abnormal and need to be interpreted with caution to avoid Ulysses syndrome. Ulysses syndrome causes needless distress to the patients and leads to waste of human and financial resources.