Enhancing clinical awareness: retrospective analysis of neurosyphilis cases and diagnostic predictors for early recognition and treatment.

OBJECTIVE: This is a retrospective analysis of clinical data from individuals diagnosed with neurosyphilis, aiming to enhance healthcare professionals' understanding of the disease and expedite early diagnosis and intervention. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical records of 50 patients who received a diagnosis of symptomatic neurosyphilis and were admitted to the Neurology Department during the period spanning January 2012 to December 2022. RESULTS: Clinical manifestations encompassed diverse phenotypes, with syphilitic meningitis accounting for 16% of cases, characterized by symptoms such as headache, blepharoptosis, paralysis, blurred vision, and tinnitus. Meningovascular syphilis presented in 36% of cases, exhibiting episodic loss of consciousness, limb numbness, and limb convulsion. Paralytic dementia manifested in 36% of cases, featuring symptoms such as memory loss, sluggish response, and slow movement. Tabes dorsalis was observed in 12% of cases, presenting with weakness, numbness, and staggering. Routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis indicated abnormal white blood cell counts in 60% of patients, while biochemical testing revealed abnormal protein content in 52% of patients. Notably, statistically significant differences were observed between patients with interstitial and parenchymatous neurosyphilis (Z = 2.023, P = 0.044) in terms of CSF protein content. Electroencephalogram (EEG) results were abnormal in six patients, and imaging studies unveiled diverse findings in 46 patients. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of neurological and/or ocular symptoms in diagnosing symptomatic neurosyphilis. Individuals with hypomnesia should be closely monitored for potential neurosyphilis. Integrating clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, EEG, and imaging can reduce misdiagnosis. This comprehensive approach shows promise in improving early identification and management of neurosyphilis.

DEVELOPMENT OF GANGLIONOPATHY AND TABETIC VISCERAL CRISES ON THE BACKGROUND OF POLYRADICULONEUROPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH MONOCLONAL GAMMOPATHY (CASE REPORT).

The article presents an analysis of the clinical occurrence of development of chronic polyradiculoneuropathy associated with monoclonal IgG/k (kappa) gammopathy of the undetermined significance. The peculiarity of this occurrence is the uniqueness of the development of the symptoms which are characteristic of tabes dorsalis in this pathology with episodic severe visceral crises and also with ganglionopathy. The example describes the clinical polymorphism of the course of visceral crises, the problems of their diagnosis and as a consequence of inadequate treatment with the development of severe social maladaptation. The importance of timely diagnosis and treatment of such conditions is discussed.

Jules Tinel (1879-1952): Beyond the eponym, the man and his forgotten neurological contributions.

The trauma of World War I had a lasting impact on clinician and physiologist Jules Tinel (1879-1952). His treatment of peripheral nervous system injuries led him, in 1917, to describe the eponymous sign that he linked to activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Among the sequelae of nerve injuries, he was confronted with causalgia that he attributed, here again, to the autonomic nervous system, the main focus of his laboratory research throughout his career. Tinel's sign became so well known that it eclipsed the originality of his seminal descriptions of exertional headache and of hypertensive emergency caused by pheochromocytoma, which could also have been associated with his name. He was always able to marry his clinical practice of neurology and psychiatric consultations with his anatomicopathological, physiological and pathophysiological research, which was based on his daily practice as a physician. At the same time, he directed the work of numerous assistants in his research laboratory, which has since been unjustly forgotten. Several hundreds of scientific publications, including three seminal works, bear witness to his intense activity, which he combined with a genuine talent for teaching and making his findings accessible to a wider public. Those publications alone would fully justify the historical value of extending his renown beyond the existing eponym.

A clinical study of new cases of parenchymal neurosyphilis: has tabes dorsalis disappeared or been missed?

Tabes dorsalis (TD) was documented as the most common parenchymal neurosyphilis, but its incidence dramatically declined in the antibiotic era. Syphilis has resurged on the China mainland since the 1980s. In recent years, physicians have been reporting parenchymal neurosyphilis, and the overwhelming majority was general paresis, but this was not the case in the authors' hospital. To make clear the real situation of parenchymal neurosyphilis in the authors' hospital, a retrospective review was carried out of the records of patients during 2009-2012. Overrepresented clinical new cases of tabetic and paretic parenchymal neurosyphilis were collected. Clinical characteristics, neuroimaging, laboratory data, and responses to penicillin were analyzed in two groups. The efficiency of two current criteria based on CSF antibodies tests was inspected. In the 43 cases with positive serum rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and TPPA tests, 18 patients met the criteria of this study: 11 presented with symptoms of general paresis, and seven had typical presentations of TD. There were statistical differences in serum RPR titers, CSF RPR, white blood cell count, and TP between the paretic and tabetic groups. The response to penicillin was relatively poor in TD. The efficiency of two current criteria was lower in the diagnosis of TD. TD was not uncommon in our area. Its clinical features remained typical, but underdiagnosis with CSF-based criteria and a decreased response to penicillin were prominent issues.

Case report: Neuropathic arthropathy of the hip as a sequela of undiagnosed tertiary syphilis.

BACKGROUND: Neuropathic arthropathy is characterized by rapidly progressive bone destruction in the setting of impaired nociceptive and proprioceptive innervation to the involved joint. It is seen most commonly in the foot and ankle, secondary to peripheral neuropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus. Other less common sites of involvement may include the knee, hip, shoulder, and spine, depending on the underlying etiology. Neuropathic arthropathy can be associated with tabes dorsalis, a unique manifestation of late, tertiary neurosyphilis that may arise in individuals with untreated syphilis many years after initial infection, and usually involves the knee, or less commonly, the hip. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 73-year-old man with neuropathic arthropathy of the hip and tabes dorsalis attributable to previously undiagnosed tertiary syphilis. There was considerable delay in the diagnosis and unnecessary diagnostic testing owing to failure to consider syphilis as the cause. LITERATURE REVIEW: With the advent of effective antimicrobial therapy and public health campaigns, the relationship between untreated syphilis and neuropathic arthropathy has been primarily a historic point of interest. However, current epidemiologic research suggests a resurgence of syphilis in the United States, with an increased incidence of patients presenting with manifestations of tertiary syphilis from unidentified and untreated primary infections. Treatment options for neuropathic arthropathy of the hip are limited. Arthrodesis has had poor success and treatment with THA has had high complication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Syphilis is not merely a historic cause of neuropathic arthropathy. Neurosyphilis and tabes dorsalis should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with rapid joint destruction consistent with Charcot arthropathy and no other apparent cause.

[Juvenile tabes arthropathy: a report of three cases]. / Arthropathie tabétique juvénile: à propos de trois observations.

The authors report three cases revealed by tabes arthropathy in patients younger than 45 years. The age of patients was respectively 42, 40, 42. The clinical symptoms consisted of a painless knee strain, isolated in one case, associated with radiculocordonal posterior syndrome in two cases. The radiological lesions showed bone destruction. The biological assessment was for a venereal disease. The outcome was disappointing, despite a well conducted treatment. The observation of such cases should suggest a syphilitic origin ahead any advanced painless arthropathy even in young patients.

[Chronic hydarthrosis of the knee in a Tunisian patient: tabetic arthropathy]. / Epanchement articulaire récidivant du genou chez un tunisien.

Tabetic arthropathy (TA) is a type of neuropathic arthropathy that has become rare. The purpose of this report is to describe a case of tabetic arthropathy involving the knee. A 53-year-old man was hospitalized for painless right knee arthropathy. Clinical examination demonstrated hydarthrosis of the right knee, peripheral neuropathic syndrome of the lower limbs, and paralysis of the IXth and Xth cranial pairs. Plain radiography showed the presence of lytic lesions in the internal femoral condyle and tibial plateau. Syphilitic serology tests were positive in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Meningovascular neurosyphilis: a report of stroke in a young adult.

A young adult patient with meningovascular neurosyphilis in the form of acute ischemic stroke with right hemiparesis and speech disturbance is reported. CT scan showed features of ischemic infarct and extensive laboratory studies were made before the diagnosis ultimately was revealed. Such cases could result in confusion for the clinician, and high index of clinical suspicion of this condition is required since syphilis is not routinely tested, as routine screening is seen to be of low diagnostic yield. As clinical practice indicates, it remains a difficult problem approaching diagnosis of neurosyphilis, and this is achieved through exclusion of neurosyphilis as a clinical possibility.

Comparison between self-reported and observed locomotion ability scores in patients with stroke: a cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to investigate (i) the validity of self-reported scores of locomotion ability in stroke survivors using the ABILOCO-Benin questionnaire, and (ii) the congruence between online Rasch analysis of the ABILOCO-Benin raw scores and a conversion table set along with the questionnaire development. Thirty-five adult poststroke patients [mean age: 52 (SD: 10) years, 60% men] recruited from the rehabilitation department of National University Hospital of Cotonou (Benin), self-reported their locomotion ability, filling out the ABILOCO-Benin questionnaire [self-reported scores (SRS)]. Afterwards, a physical therapist observed and rated the patients' locomotion ability, while they performed each of the 15 items of the questionnaire [performance-based scores (PBS)]. Both raw SRS and PBS were then converted to linear measures using (i) an online Rasch analysis method and (ii) an ordinal-to-interval transformation table. Analyses showed high correlation (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.74, P<0.001) and nonsignificant difference (P=0.778) between SRS and PBS. Linear measures from online Rasch and a conversion table also exhibited high correlation (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.92; P<0.001). However, the difference between online analysis and the conversion table was significant (P=0.022). In conclusion, self-report is a valid method to administer ABILOCO-Benin in stroke patients. The conversion table offers a valid opportunity for quick transfer of raw scores to linear measures. However, the accuracy of linear measures from the conversion table may be slightly affected by missing responses.

Syphilitic meningomyelitis presenting with visceral crisis: A case report.

RATIONALE: We report a rare case of syphilitic meningomyelitis presenting with visceral crisis and possessing characteristic imaging findings. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient, a 50-year-old woman, complained of pain in the upper abdomen and back. She then developed numbness in both lower extremities and weakness in the left lower limb. DIAGNOSIS: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spinal cord revealed the candle guttering sign and irregular enhancement at the T6 level. Rapid plasma reagin test of the cerebrospinal fluid yielded a titer of 1:8. Thus, the patient was diagnosed with syphilitic meningomyelitis. INTERVENTIONS: She was treated with ceftriaxone and dexamethasone after the failure of penicillin treatment. OUTCOMES: She could perform the activities of daily living, and her pain completely disappeared. LESSONS: A patient with syphilitic meningomyelitis can present with visceral crisis caused by the involvement of the posterior nerve roots or the posterior horn, which usually occurs in patients with tabes dorsalis. Considering the non-specific symptoms and MRI features, we should be aware that abdominal pain may be a symptom of myelopathy, and syphilitic meningomyelitis ought to be taken into account in a patient with longitudinally extensive myelitis.

Meningovascular neurosyphilis with basilar artery thrombosis in HIV patient.

Currently, neurosyphilis is an uncommon disease and may occur at any stage of syphilis. Co-infection of syphilis with HIV can affect the clinical course. We report a case of meningovascular neurosyphilis in a patient with HIV in whom basilar artery thrombosis and reactive VDRL in CSF were detected. Treatment with penicillin was instituted with adequate response showing clinical improvement. Neurosyphilis is a differential diagnosis in young patients with cerebral infarction, especially in HIV patients.

Neurosyphilis manifesting as spinal transverse myelitis.

Spinal myelitis caused by neurosyphilis is an extremely rare disease, and there are only few visual examples of magnetic resonance imaging scans. We present a clinical case of neurosyphilis, which is of great importance concerning diagnostic, differential diagnosis, and tactics of management. A patient complaining of progressive legs weakness, numbness, and shooting-like pain in the legs as well as pelvic dysfunction was admitted to the hospital. Neurological examination revealed spinal cord lesion symptoms: legs weakness, impairment of superficial and deep sensation together with pathological symptoms in the legs. Hernia of intervertebral disc or tumor was suspected, and myelography with computed tomography of the spine was performed. No pathological findings were observed. More precise examination of the patient (a small scar in the genitals and condylomata lata in anal region were noticed) pointed to possible syphilis-induced spinal cord lesion. Serologic syphilis diagnostic tests (Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay, reagin plasma response, serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and cerebrospinal fluid tests (general cerebrospinal fluid test and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test) confirmed the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. Spinal cord lesion determined by magnetic resonance imaging was evaluated as spinal syphilis or syphilis-induced myelitis. Conventional treatment showed a partial effect.

Syphilis: uncommon presentations in adults.

The clinical manifestations of syphilis are variable in appearance and have been described for centuries. The disease has been arbitrarily divided mainly into three stages. Uncommon presentations of syphilis in adults include (a) primary syphilis-atypical forms of chancre vary in size, shape, morphology, and color. Small ulcus durum is single or multiple, grouped, or herpetiform. Giant necrotic and phagedenic chancres are resolved with scar formation. In intratriginous areas, ulcus durum is rhagadiform, linear, "rocket type," or bilateral. (b) Secondary syphilids include macular (roseolas, leukomelanoderma), papular (small miliar or lichenoid, or with large size-lenticular or nummular), papulosquamous, syphilis cornee, psoriasiform, annular en cockade, nodular, condylomata lata, malignant syphilis, and others; there are also mucosal lesions, loss of the hairs, and alteration of the nails. (c) Tertiary syphilis occurs decades after infection in three main forms: gummatous, cardiovascular, and neurosyphilis (asymptomatic, meningeal, meningovascular, and parenchymatous-such as general paresis or tabes dorsalis). Early recognition of the clinical manifestations of syphilis is important for the start of treatment, recovery of patients, and the prevention of the spread of disease.

The history of tabes dorsalis and the impact of observational studies in neurology.

It is common for a particular aspect of scientific knowledge to undergo a great advance in a brief period of time after the discovery of new investigational procedures that broaden research horizons. Knowledge of neurosyphilis increased markedly during the second half of the 19th century. As revealed by the example of tabes dorsalis, this progress was not related to new research methods but instead to the impetus of careful clinical observations.

Neurosyphilis.

Syphilis and its consequent central nervous system sequelae remain clinical problems, especially when presenting in the unfamiliar acute meningeal forms of syphilitic meningitis and meningovascular syphilis. The diagnosis of neurosyphilis of all types depends on evaluation of spinal fluid reactivity as evidenced by pleocytosis and increased protein content with reactive serology. The cerebrospinal fluid is always abnormal in active disease, and only active disease responds to treatment. Penicillin remains the drug of choice for all forms of neurosyphilis, but disease progression has been frequently reported following the use of penicillin G benzathine. Documentation of cerebrospinal fluid resolution over the months following penicillin therapy is required to confirm curative treatment.

Pachymeningitis luetica: a case report.

Pachymeningitis luetica is extremely rare in developed countries. We describe a 41-year-old male patient with pachymeningitis luetica, multiple ischaemic infarctions, and severe hydrocephalus. The delay in making the diagnosis contributed to patient's death. Rapid diagnosis is essential on the slightest suspicion of an infection by Treponema pallidum, because timely treatment with antibiotics is effective.

[An unusual case of pseudotabetic arthropathy]. / Considerazioni su un raro caso di artropatia pseudotabetica.

After a brief introduction on Adie's disease, or pseudotabes, a rare case of pseudotabetic arthropathy which, in addition to the classical signs of Adie's syndrome, presented signs of a recurrent arthrosynovitis of the knee, is reported. This rare syndrome should be borne in mind in differential diagnosis with recurrent arthrosynovitis of other nature.

Romberg and his test.

In the eponymous test described by Romberg in 1846, the erect patient is asked to close his eyes. If he falls, the test is positive and indicates the presence of a dorsal column lesion. Slight modifications have been described in the test but in all cases, great care must be taken to do it carefully. The test compares the stability of eye-opening with that of eye-closure. A positive test does not indicate vestibular or cerebellar disease.