Neurosyphilis is a serious infection that affects the brain and spinal cord, caused by untreated syphilis. There are four types, with varying symptoms, and it can be diagnosed through blood tests and spinal fluid analysis. Treatment involves antibiotics, and follow-up tests are necessary for full recovery.
Neurosyphilis is a very serious infection that affects the brain and can also affect the spinal cord. It develops when a person has syphilis that goes untreated for years after the initial infection. In fact, a person may have syphilis 10 to 20 years before neurosyphilis develops. The condition is life threatening, but does not affect everyone who has been diagnosed with syphilis.
There are four types of neurosyphilis: asymptomatic, meningovascular, tabes dorsalis, and general paresis. With the asymptomatic type, there are no recognizable symptoms. However, the affected person will have signs of the disease in their spinal fluid. The meningovascular form causes symptoms, which include nerve and eye problems. Also, a person with this condition may have an increased risk of stroke, as blood vessels can become damaged.
A person with neurosyphilis tabes dorsalis has spinal cord damage, which gradually gets worse. Eventually, the affected person will lose their ability to walk. General paresis is characterized by damage to brain cells, which can cause paralysis, seizures, and deterioration of mental status. With this condition, parts of the brain and spinal cord can become inflamed, causing a variety of neurological problems.
In addition to paralysis and seizures, general paresis can cause tremors, headaches, mood and personality changes, muscle weakness, and strokes. It can also lead to vision problems, dizziness, depression, incontinence and dementia. A person with this type of neurosyphilis may have abnormal muscle contractions and even muscle atrophy.
Blood tests are used to diagnose syphilis. These tests look for substances created by the bacteria that cause disease. For neurosyphilis, however, the patient’s spinal fluid should be tested. Additionally, lumbar punctures, CT scans, MRIs, and brain angiograms are used to detect problems affecting the nervous system.
Treatment usually involves penicillin, an antibiotic. For one treatment plan, the patient receives penicillin injections into a vein for the first 10 days. Afterwards, another form of antibiotic may be injected into the muscle for another three weeks. Another treatment plan involves taking the antibiotic by mouth four times a day while simultaneously having injections into the muscle for a total of 10 days. Next, another form of antibiotic would be injected into a muscle for a total of three weeks.
Recovery from neurosyphilis depends on how soon it is discovered and how severe it is when treatment begins. Follow-up tests are required at three, six, 12 and 24 months after treatment. These tests are needed to make sure that the disease is really gone. If left untreated, neurosyphilis can lead to death.
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