Meningovascular Neurosyphilis with Cerebral Hemorrhaging in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1-positive Patient.

Meningovascular neurosyphilis is a rare manifestation of early neurosyphilis that causes infectious arteritis and ischemic infarction. We herein report a 44-year-old man with meningovascular neurosyphilis who presented with cerebral hemorrhaging. He complained of nausea, vomiting and lightheadedness. The patient tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and head computed tomography showed cerebral hemorrhaging in the upper right frontal lobe and left subcortical parietal lobe. Positive cerebrospinal fluid syphilis tests confirmed the diagnosis. He recovered after treatment for neurosyphilis and anti-HIV therapy. Our case highlights the importance of considering meningovascular neurosyphilis in young patients with multiple instances of cerebral hemorrhaging.

Alzheimer's Disease and Neurosyphilis: Meaningful Commonalities and Differences of Clinical Phenotype and Pathophysiological Biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Neurosyphilis-associated cognitive and behavioral impairment- historically coined as "general paralysis of the insane"- share clinical and neuroradiological features with the neurodegenerative disease spectrum, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD). Anatomopathological similarities have been extensively documented, i.e., neuronal loss, fibrillary alterations, and local amyloid-ß deposition. Consequently, accurate classification and timely differential diagnosis may be challenging. OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical, bio-humoral, brain MRI, FDG-PET, and amyloid-PET features in cases of neurosyphilis with an AD-like phenotypical presentation, as well as clinical outcome in terms of response to antibiotic therapy. METHODS: We selected the studies comparing patients with AD and with neurosyphilis associated cognitive impairment, to investigate candidate biomarkers classifying the two neurological diseases. RESULTS: The neuropsychological phenotype of general paralysis, characterized by episodic memory impairment and executive disfunction, substantially mimics clinical AD features. Neuroimaging often shows diffuse or medial temporal cortical atrophy, thus contributing to a high rate of misdiagnosis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based analysis may provide supportive diagnostic value, since increased proteins or cells are often found in neurosyphilis, while published data on pathophysiological AD candidate biomarkers are controversial. Finally, psychometric testing using cross-domain cognitive tests, may highlight a wider range of compromised functions in neurosyphilis, involving language, attention, executive function, and spatial ability, which are atypical for AD. CONCLUSION: Neurosyphilis should be considered a potential etiological differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment whenever imaging, neuropsychological or CSF features are atypical for AD, in order to promptly start antibiotic therapy and delay or halt cognitive decline and disease progression.

Neurosyphilis with ocular involvement and normal magnetic resonance imaging results affirmed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing.

The rapid and accurate identification of pathogenic agents is the key to guide clinicians on diagnosis and medication, especially for intractable diseases, such as neurosyphilis. It is extremely challenging for clinicians to diagnose neurosyphilis with no highly sensitive and specific test available. It is well known that the early transmission and immune evasion ability of Treponema pallidum have earned it the title of "stealth pathogen." Neurosyphilis has complex clinical manifestations, including ocular involvement, which is infrequent and often overlooked, but its neuroimaging results may be normal. Therefore, it is important to find a new test that can detect the presence or absence of Treponema pallidum immediately for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. We reviewed all the patients admitted to the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between 2021 and 2022 who had ocular involvement and whose clinical samples were examined via metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), and we found 10 candidates for further analysis. The results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were normal for four patients, and three of them met the diagnostic criteria for neurosyphilis confirmed by mNGS. In addition, the results of mNGS from the three patients were further validated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Five of the 10 patients had diplopia manifestations; two (20%) experienced abducens nerve palsies, two (20%) had eyelid drooping, and one (10%) had decreased vision. One of the 10 patients (10%) who was HIV positive and five patients had abnormal MRI results. To our knowledge, Treponema pallidum was detected by mNGS in patients with ocular involvement and normal MRI results for the first time. Given this situation, we recommend mNGS as a potential and supplementary tool for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of neurosyphilis.

Neurosyphilis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Encephalitis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Neurosyphilis is a central nervous system infection caused by Treponema pallidum, that can develop at any time after the initial infection. The clinical signs of neurosyphilis are very variable, as well as its radiological features, and it is a diagnostic challenge. Knowledge of clinical symptoms and correct laboratory diagnostics, combined with routine radiological examination and additional diagnostic tools, such as high-resolution, three-dimensional FLAIR sequence, T2-weighted, and T1-weighted contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are key to making an accurate diagnosis of neurosyphilis. CASE REPORT We present the clinical case of a patient who presented a 1-year history of vague clinical symptoms and was misdiagnosed with herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis. Initial head MRI revealed extensive cerebral white matter lesions with cortical contrast enhancement, mainly of anterior and medial parts of the left temporal lobe, as typically seen in HSV encephalitis. Empirical therapy with acyclovir was started until a diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed with laboratory findings. Later, the therapy was changed to penicillin G. The patient's condition improved after receiving targeted treatment. A control MRI scan was performed, and previously detected changes in the brain had decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS MRI is the imaging of choice to support the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. Our findings suggest that neuroimaging can play an important role in indicating suspicion of syphilitic encephalitis. Enhancement of the anterior and medial parts of the temporal lobe is an atypical imaging finding, and it can simulate an infection with HSV. Early treatment is critical to a positive outcome.

Neurosyphilis Mimicking Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia in a 59-Year-Old Man.

We present the case of a man exhibiting a clinical phenotype of behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). The man had developed psychiatric disturbances with verbal aggressiveness over a few months, followed by cognitive and frontal behavioral disorders, fulfilling the clinical criteria for bvFTD. Atrophy and hypometabolism in frontotemporal regions were consistent with the diagnosis. However, serum-screening exams for syphilis infection were positive, and CSF analysis, despite a negative Venereal Disease Research Laboratory Test, suggested the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. After specific antibiotic therapy, the man's behavioral abnormalities and cognitive deficits notably improved, confirming neurosyphilis as the cause of the clinical phenotype. The cognitive deficits completely recovered 1 year post therapy and remained stable for 2 years. After ∼2½ years from the first treatment, the man's behavioral disorders mildly worsened, at which time we re-evaluated him. His cognition was stable, and a positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory Test confirmed the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. With this case, we demonstrated that in some instances, neurosyphilis can mimic frontotemporal dementia. As a cause of treatable dementia, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of bvFTD, particularly when psychiatric symptoms and a rapid cognitive decline are noted, even in the presence of brain atrophy and/or hypometabolism.

Neurosyphilis with a rare magnetic resonance imaging pattern confirmed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Neurosyphilis refers to infection of the central nervous system by Treponema pallidum. The clinical presentation is variable and nonspecific. Neuroimaging findings are complex and that the diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters, and serologic and CSF evidence of syphilis. To date, there is no case report describing Treponema pallidum detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in CSF. CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, we describe a case of neurosyphilis in a HIV-negative, 29-year-old man, who was admitted to our hospital with an epileptic seizure and progressive cognitive impairment. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) high signal intensities in bilateral medial and anterior temporal lobes, insula, right pulvinar of the thalami, precuneus, frontal and temporo-occipital lobes. Laboratory examination showed positive results by means of nontreponemal or specific treponemal test in serum and CSF. mNGS of the CSF was also performed to identify Treponema pallidum for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: This case underscores the importance of considering neurosyphilis as a potential cause of mesiotemporal abnormality. In addition, the rapid improvement and wide usability of mNGS technology will bring new breakthroughs in the clinical diagnosis of neurosyphilis.

Neurosyphilis and High-Resolution Vessel Wall Imaging: A Powerful Tool to Detect Vasculitis and Neuritis.

Syphilis is a reemergent infection worldwide. There has been a steady increase in incidence across many population groups in the last decades, requiring public health authorities' attention. We report a case of a 67-year-old man with neurosyphilis who presented with abrupt clinical ophthalmic changes and sensorineural hearing loss. The neuroradiological investigation demonstrated cranial nerves and vascular involvement, detected on high-resolution vessel wall imaging in brain magnetic resonance imaging. CSF and blood VDRL test were positive, as well as blood serum fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS) and chemiluminescent magnetic microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). A test for the human immunodeficiency virus was negative. The patient was administered intravenous penicillin G for 21 days and was discharged well, with no neurologic signs.

Locked-in Syndrome Due to Meningovascular Syphilis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

We herein report a 46-year-old man presenting with locked-in syndrome secondary to meningovascular syphilis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated multiple acute infarctions in the left ventromedial pons, right basis pontis, and left basal ganglia. His locked-in syndrome was hypothesized to have been caused by thrombosis of the small paramedian branches of the basilar artery due to syphilitic arteritis. This is a unique case of bilateral ventromedial pontine infarction caused by meningovascular syphilis that presented as locked-in syndrome. Meningovascular syphilis should be included in the differential diagnosis of uncommon stroke, particularly in young men.

Neurosyphilis in disguise.

PURPOSE: Neurosyphilis can mimic different diseases, not only in its clinical presentation but also on imaging. Treponema pallidum is also known as the "great imitator." Having an ultimate diagnosis of neurosyphilis is quite critical as this can affect management drastically. Herein, we discuss the case of a 69-year-old female who was treated for neurosyphilis, while having an atypical imaging finding of anterior temporal lobe enhancement that simulated an infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV); we also review the available literature on different imaging findings in both the early and late stages of the disease. METHODS: We performed a literature search using the new PubMed in June 2021. The terms "neurosyphilis", "MRI", and "neuroimaging" were used either alone or in combination with "early neurosyphilis" or "late neurosyphilis". Data on neurosyphilis and imaging findings was mainly derived from review articles, cohort studies, case series, and individual reports. CONCLUSION: Neurosyphilis can present with an extensive variation and different patterns on the MRI, and clinicians must be aware of the wide variety in radiological presentations. Anterior temporal lobe involvement is a rare presentation and requires evaluating for neurosyphilis to prevent a missed diagnosis and treatment.

Serial Radiological Findings in Meningovascular Neurosyphilis Presenting as Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Meningovascular neurosyphilis, a form of early neurosyphilis, can cause infectious arteritis, which can be complicated by cerebral infarction. High-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) is one of the techniques used to directly visualize the vessel wall. Herein, we present a rare case of meningovascular neurosyphilis, in which intracranial arterial vasculitis was evaluated using HR-VWI. CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old man with no medical history of any condition was brought to the emergency room with one day history of right upper and lower extremity weakness. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed a high signal from the left putamen to the corona radiata, and MR angiography showed stenosis of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) and the bilateral middle cerebral arteries (MCAs). HR-VWI showed thickening, along with smooth, intense, and concentric enhancement of the right ICA and the bilateral MCAs. The patient was diagnosed with neurosyphilis based on the findings of the blood tests and cerebrospinal fluid examination. The patient's symptoms gradually improved after treatment with intravenous penicillin G and oral antiplatelet agents. HR-VWI, performed approximately 6 months after the treatment, revealed improvement in the contrast enhancement of the vessel wall and the vascular stenosis. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of meningovascular neurosyphilis that evaluated the course of treatment using HR-VWI. Our report highlights the effectiveness of HR-VWI to determine the effects of treatment on meningovascular neurosyphilis.

[A clinical suspected case of cerebral syphilitic gumma showing spontaneous regression].

A 46-years-old man who complained of headache for 4 months was transported our hospital due to vertigo and nausea. Gadolinium-enhanced T1WI showed ring-like enhancements in the right pedunculus cerebellaris medius and left frontal lobe on the brain surface. Additionally, FLAIR images showed high intensity area indicating perilesional edema. We diagnosed the patient as neurosyphilis with his serum and cerebrospinal fluid findings, and considered him as cerebral syphilitic gumma because of brain MRI findings. An HIV test was negative. Follow-up MRI before treatment demonstrated spontaneous regression of these lesions, and after intravenous treatment with penicillin G for 14 days complete regression. Since then, he has had no sign of recurrence. Although there are some characteristic brain MRI findings of cerebral syphilitic gumma, spontaneous regression of these lesions in this case was an unusual finding.

Clinical, laboratory and brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) characteristics of asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV-negative neurosyphilis patients.

INTRODUCTION: There are few studies concerning the differences between asymptomatic neurosyphilis (ANS) and symptomatic neurosyphilis (SNS). This study aimed to summarize clinical, laboratory and brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) characteristics of HIV-negative patients with ANS and SNS. METHODS: Data from 43 HIV-negative patients with ANS and 59 HIV-negative patients with SNS were retrospectively collected from our hospital between December 2012 and December 2018. RESULTS: Compared with the ANS group, SNS group had more patients that were male, age≥45 years, had brain MRI abnormalities, and exhibited higher serum/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) TRUST titer, CSF WBC count, CSF protein concentration (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that male sex, age ≥45 years and CSF TRUST titer were risk factors for SNS [odds ratio (OR) = 7.946,P = 0.001;OR = 3.757, P = 0.041; OR = 2.713, P = 0.002; respectively]. The brain MRI findings of 78 patients without comorbidities showed that ischemic infarct lesions presented in 17/37 (45.95%) of patients with ANS; infarct ischemic stroke (73.17%) especially multiple cerebral infractions (46.34%), cerebral atrophy (48.78%) were also common presentations in the SNS group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HIV-negative ANS and SNS presented different clinical, laboratory and brain MRI features. Male sex, age ≥45 years and elevated CSF TRUST titer may have an increased risk of developing neurological symptoms. Brain MRI abnormalities may present prior to clinical symptoms. Multiple cerebral infarctions without explained reasons or cerebral atrophy should alert clinicians the possibility of SNS.