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Majid H, Ali S, Raza FA, Jabeen S, Majid H, Sheikh A, Ahmed M. Neurosyphilis with sequential respiratory complications: A case report highlighting diagnostic and treatment challenges. SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2024; 12:2050313X241256825. [PMID: 38817409 PMCID: PMC11138193 DOI: 10.1177/2050313x241256825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
In this case report, we describe the presentation and clinical course of a 25-year-old male with a complex medical history and a fatal outcome due to neurosyphilis. The diagnosis of neurosyphilis-related complications. Neurosyphilis, a variant of tertiary syphilis, is a rare condition but can present with a wide range of neurological symptoms. This makes its diagnosis challenging. The study aims to report and discuss neurosyphilis in a young male, resulting in respiratory complications, and explore the clinical presentation, diagnostic and process, treatment challenges it poses to a tertiary care setup of a third-world country regimen, and the profound significance of this particular case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanifa Majid
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sajjad Ali
- Ziauddin Medical College, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Fatima A Raza
- Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Habiba Majid
- Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Areeba Sheikh
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Muzamil Ahmed
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
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Milano C, Hoxhaj D, Del Chicca M, Pascazio A, Paoli D, Tommasini L, Vergallo A, Pizzanelli C, Tognoni G, Nuti A, Ceravolo R, Siciliano G, Hampel H, Baldacci F. Alzheimer's Disease and Neurosyphilis: Meaningful Commonalities and Differences of Clinical Phenotype and Pathophysiological Biomarkers. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:611-625. [PMID: 37334599 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
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-β 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Milano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Domeniko Hoxhaj
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marta Del Chicca
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessia Pascazio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Davide Paoli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Tommasini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Vergallo
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Chiara Pizzanelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gloria Tognoni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Nuti
- Division of Neurology, Versilia Hospital, Lido di Camaiore, Italy
| | - Roberto Ceravolo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Siciliano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Harald Hampel
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Filippo Baldacci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
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Choi EK, Kim YD, Jeong H, Chung YA, Oh JK, Song IU. Imaging Characteristics of Brain SPECT, PET, and MRI in Neurosyphilis. Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 55:48-51. [PMID: 33643490 DOI: 10.1007/s13139-021-00684-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of neurosyphilis has declined since effective penicillin therapy against Treponema pallidum was introduced. However, the diagnosis of neurosyphilis early in the disease course is very important in order to select appropriate antibiotic therapy. We report brain MRI, SPECT with Tc-99m ECD, and PET with F-18 FDG findings before antibiotic therapy in a neurosyphilis patient with neurological symptoms. The cerebral cortices showed hypoperfusion with a patchy distribution on SPECT and foci with high signal intensity on MRI, suggesting ischemia. Brain PET showed areas with hypometabolism in the temporoparietal lobes bilaterally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Kyoung Choi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young Do Kim
- Department of Neurology, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeonseok Jeong
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Radiology, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yong-An Chung
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Radiology, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin Kyoung Oh
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - In-Uk Song
- Department of Neurology, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
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Chen JH, Zheng X, Liu XQ. Usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Syphilis: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies. Chin Med J (Engl) 2018; 130:1100-1112. [PMID: 28469107 PMCID: PMC5421182 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.204940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Diagnosis of syphilis is difficult. Follow-up and therapy evaluation of syphilitic patients are poor. Little is known about positron emission tomography (PET) in syphilis. This review was to systematically review usefulness of PET for diagnosis, disease extent evaluation, follow-up, and treatment response assessment in patients with syphilis. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and three Chinese databases (SinoMed, Wanfang, and CNKI) for English and Chinese language articles from inception to September 2016. We also collected potentially relevant studies and reviews using a manual search. The search keywords included the combined text and MeSH terms “syphilis” and “positron emission tomography”. We included studies that reporting syphilis with a PET scan before and/or after antibiotic treatment. The diagnosis of syphilis was based on serological criteria or dark field microscopy. Outcomes include pre- and post-treatment PET scan, pre- and post-treatment computed tomography, and pre- and post-treatment magnetic resonance imaging. We excluded the articles not published in English or Chinese or not involving humans. Results: Of 258 identified articles, 34 observational studies were included. Thirty-three studies were single-patient case reports and one study was a small case series. All patients were adults. The mean age of patients was 48.3 ± 12.1 years. In primary syphilis, increased fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) accumulation could be seen at the site of inoculation or in the regional lymph nodes. In secondary syphilis with lung, bone, gastrointestinal involvement, or generalized lymphadenopathy, increased FDG uptake was the most commonly detected changes. In tertiary syphilis, increased glucose metabolic activity, hypometabolic lesions, or normal glucose uptake might be seen on PET. There were five types of PET scans in neurosyphilis. A repeated PET scan after treatment revealed apparent or complete resolution of the asymmetry of radiotracer uptake. Conclusion: PET is helpful in targeting diagnostic interventions, characterizing disease extent, assessing nodal involvement, and treatment efficacy for syphilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Hua Chen
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xin Zheng
- Clinical Pharmacology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xiu-Qin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
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Liu H, Zhao ZB, You NX. Diversity in clinical manifestations and imaging features of neurosyphilis: obstacles to the diagnosis and treatment (report of three cases). Int J Neurosci 2017; 128:785-790. [PMID: 29199527 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2017.1412963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Changshu No.2 Hospital affiliated to Yangzhou University School of Medicine, Suchow, PR China
| | - Zong-Bo Zhao
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Changshu No.2 Hospital affiliated to Yangzhou University School of Medicine, Suchow, PR China
| | - Nian-Xing You
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Changshu No.2 Hospital affiliated to Yangzhou University School of Medicine, Suchow, PR China
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Verjans S, Van Laere K, Vandenberghe R. Neurosyphilis mimicking young-onset Alzheimer's disease: a case report explaining the pitfalls of FDG-PET. Acta Neurol Belg 2016; 116:207-10. [PMID: 26179560 DOI: 10.1007/s13760-015-0508-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Verjans
- Department of Neurology, UZ Gasthuisberg, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Nuclear Department, UZ Gasthuisberg, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
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