Tabes dorsalis is a neurological disorder caused by untreated syphilis, with 5% of patients developing it. It causes nerve damage and symptoms such as an unsteady walk, reduced reflexes, visual impairment, and shooting pain. It is more common in middle-aged males and homosexuals.
Tabes dorsalis is a medical condition that results from syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, when left untreated. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, there were approximately 7,000 reported cases of syphilis in the United States. About 5% of these patients developed tabes dorsalis.
Tabes dorsalis typically manifests approximately fifteen to twenty years after the patient is infected with syphilis. Individuals with immune dysfunction, such as those associated with autoimmunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), usually develop tabes dorsalis much earlier. Additionally, the condition is more common in middle-aged males, as well as homosexuals. Some areas of the United States, such as the southern part and inner city areas of San Francisco and New York, also have more prevalent cases of tabes dorsalis.
When a person is first infected with syphilis, the bacteria that cause the disease spreads through the bloodstream to the spinal cord and brain. It can, however, go on for years without any symptoms. Over time, this leads to a neurological disorder called neurosyphilis when left untreated. This causes damage to the spinal cord. This damage is called tabes dorsalis.
An individual with tabes dorsalis experiences inflammation in the dorsal column portion of the spinal cord, which is the part of the cord located closest to the back. This causes nerve cells to degeneration and can also affect other nerves in the body, such as those that control hearing, vision, eye movement, and bladder and bowel control.
Due to the nerve damage caused by tabes dorsalis, a victim of the disorder may experience a variety of symptoms. These can include an unsteady walk, reduced reflexes, and general weakness. A person with tabes dorsalis may also experience visual impairment, dementia, personality changes, and deafness. Those affected may also have difficulty responding appropriately to light and may experience a loss of coordination and moments of severe pain.
The pain experienced by those with tabes dorsi is often described as a shooting pain that comes on very quickly. It occurs most often in the legs, although it can also appear in other areas of the body. Individuals with tabes dorsalis also experience other strange sensations, such as burning, tingling or feeling cold.
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