Meningovascular and Spinal form of Neurosyphilis Presenting as Multiple Cranial Nerve Palsy, Cerebral Infarction and Meningomyelitis in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Negative-Patient: MR Imaging Features

Neurosyphilis is a rare infection of the brain and spinal cord caused by a spirochete named Treponema pallidum. We describe the magnetic resonance imaging of a 53-year-old man with syphilis who manifested as both meningovascular, and spinal meningomyelitic types, which involved the optic, trigeminal, facial and vestibulocochlear nerves, both middle and left posterior cerebral arteries, thoracic spinal cord and meninges of the lumbar spine. This case report suggests that neurosyphilis should be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients showing complex brain and spinal imaging features. These features include enhancing meningeal lesions with multiple cranial nerve involvement, stenoses in large to medium size cerebral arteries, and intramedullary and meningeal lesions of spine.

Artropatía de Charcot secundaria a tabes dorsal: reporte de un caso / Charcot`s arthropathy due to tabes dorsalis: case report

El Tabes Dorsal (TD) es una enfermedad toxico degenerativa donde hay afectación de las raíces, los ganglios y los cordones posteriores de la médula espinal por la espiroqueta de la sífilis, como manifestación tardía de la enfermedad. La TD es muy rara en nuestro medio. El 5 a 10 % de los pacientes presentan una Osteoartropatía Neuropática, que afecta de forma predominante a las articulaciones de las extremidades inferiores. Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de 29 años de edad, con diagnóstico clínico y de laboratorio de sífilis, el cual inicia su enfermedad actual en febrero de 2003 con trastornos de la marcha, acompañado de artralgias progresivas y espasticidad en miembros inferiores. Al examen físico se encontró marcha con aumento de la base de sustentación, signo de Romberg positivo, arreflexia rotuliana y aquílea. Los estudios radiológicos de ambas rodillas muestran signos importantes de destrucción articular. Se realizó una Artroplastia Total de Rodilla (ATR) izquierda. La ATR se puede ofrecer a un selecto grupo de pacientes con OAN en estadíos finales

The Tabes Dorsalis (TD) are a degenerative toxic disease where there is roots, ganglia and posterior cords affectation of the spinal marrow by the syphili´s spiroquette, as delayed manifestation of the disease. TD is very rare in our means. 5 to 10% of these patients development a Neuropathic osteoarthropathy (NOA), that affects the joints of the lower extremities. We present the case of a 29 years old masculine patient, with clinical and laboratory diagnosis of syphilis, which initiates his disease in February 2003 with march upheavals, accompanied by progressive arthralgias and lower limbs spasticity. To the initial physical examination, there was march with sustenation base increased, lower extremity osteotendonous areflexia and positive Romberg's sign. The radiological studies of both knees show important signs of articular destruction. A left Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) was made. TKA can be offered to a select group of patients with NOA in final stages

Neuropathic Arthropathy of the Elbow / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: Neuropathic arthropathy of the elbow is extremely rare and is characterized by painless destruction of the joint due to diminished proprioception. We report five cases of neuropathic arthropathy of the elbow with review of pertinent literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed records of five patients who were diagnosed with neuropathic arthropathy of the elbow. There were three men and two women with a mean age of 38.6 years (range, thirteen to fifty years). The conditions associated with the arthropathy were three cases of syringomyelia, one tabes dorsalis, and one neurofibromatosis. One patient was conservatively treated and was followed periodically and others underwent operative procedures. The mean duration of follow-up was 8.5 years (range, one to nineteen years). Changes of symptoms, range of motion (ROM), and functional satisfaction were assessed. RESULTS: The conservatively treated patient maintained the function of the elbow. In the surgically treated group, one case of ulnar nerve decompression and one case of osteosynthesis of the fractured olecranon showed improvement of symptoms, ROM, and function. But two patients who underwent reconstructive procedures had decreased ROM after complication of deep infection. Concluson: Neuropathic arthropathy of the elbow causes few functional problems despite of the radiologic destruction and instability of the elbow. Therefore symptomatic management is considered more preferable than surgical correction of destruction or instability of the elbow.

Neurosyphilis: a Clinico-Radiological Study

Purpose. Neurosyphilis is an uncommon disease. Although syphilis may promote the transmission of HIV the converse may not be true. The neuro-radiology of neurosyphilis is limited to two case series and several case reports. Our series of patients were reviewed to describe the clinical and radiological findings. Method. A retrospective chart review from 1994 to 2005 was done and demographic; clinical; laboratory and radiological findings were extracted. Patients HIV status was also recorded. Patients who satisfied the criteria for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis with the exclusion of alternate diagnoses were included. Results. Fifty-three patients were evaluated but only 41 charts were available for review. Thirty-nine of these had radiological data. The clinical spectrum included asymptomatic patients; strokes; dementia; cranial nerve palsies; spinal cord syndromes and polyradiculopathy. Imaging changes included normal findings; infarcts; meningeal based mass lesions; spinal intra-medullary hyper-intensities; cranial nerve enhancement and intra-medullary enhancing mass lesions. There was no difference in CSF cellular or chemistry findings between those with neurosyphilis who were HIV positive and those who were HIV negative. Amongst the patients where follow up was available most improved regardless of HIV status. Conclusion. Neurosyphilis has protean manifestations and can affect any central neurological system. The pathogenesis varies from inflammatory mass lesions to vascular occlusion and inflammatory damage. Syphilis should be an aetiological consideration in any neurological presentation where another cause is not obvious. The radiological features are not specific and would be seen with many inflammatory aetiologies affecting the CNS. The CSF picture is similar regardless of HIV status and patients should be managed similarly regardless of their HIV status

Artropatía de Charcot secundaria a tabes dorsal: reporte de un caso: Servicio de Traumatología y Ortopedia del Hospital Central Luis Ortega Estado Nueva Esparta / Artropatía of secondary Charcot to dorsal tabes: report of a case: Servicio de Traumatología y Ortopedia del Hospital Central Luis Ortega estado Nueva Esparta

El Tabes dorsal (TD) es una enfermedad tóxica degenerativa, muy rara en nuestro medio, donde hay afectación de la médula espinal por la espiroqueta de la sífilis, como manifestación tardía de la enfermedad. El 5 a 10 por ciento de los pacientes presentan una Osteoartropatía Neuropática o Artropatía de Charcot (AC), que afecta predominantemente a las articulaciones de las extremidades inferiores. Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de 29 años, con diagnóstico clínico y de laboratorio, de sífilis, quien inicia su enfermedad actual en 2003 con trastornos de marcha, artralgias y espasticidad en miembros inferiores. Al ingreso presenta aumento de la base de sustentación, Romberg positivo, arreflexia rotuliana y aquílea y pupilas de Argyll Robertson. Los estudios radiológicos muestran signos de afectación importante de ambas rodillas. Se realizó una artroplastia total izquierda para luego realizar el mismo procedimiento en la derecha. La artropatía total de rodilla se puede ofrecer a pacientes con AC en estadios finales.

Tabes dorsal: reporte de un caso / Tabes dorsalis: a case report

La neurosífilis es la afectación del sistema nervioso central por el Treponema pallidum, se presenta de manera sintomática en el 7 por ciento de los pacientes con sífilis. La tabes dorsal está incluida dentro de las formas parenquimatosas de la neurosífilis. Esta mieloneuropatía se presenta de 10 a 30 años después de la infección sifilítica primaria. Clásicamente se describe una tríada clínica clásica: dolores fulgurantes agudos, ataxia y trastornos urinarios. Los hallazgos más frecuentes al examen físico son trastornos pupilares (pupila de Argyll Robertson), arreflexia osteotendinosa en miembros inferiores, signo de Romberg positivo y peìrdida temprana del sentido de vibración (Palestesia) y de posición (Batiestesia). Los hallazgos del líquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR) Citoquímico son inespecíficos, la serología VDRL del LCR confirma el diagnoìstico. El tratamiento se basa en el uso de penicilina cristalina a dosis altas. La respuesta al tratamiento es variable, puede haber recuperación de las manifestaciones neurológicas o solo detención de la progresión de los síntomas. El criterio de curación se basa en la normalización del LCR por dos años.Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino, blanco, de 72 años de edad, con trastornos de la marcha, provocados por pérdida del equilibrio de siete días de evolución, acompañado de visión borrosa y retención urinaria. Al examen físico se encontró marcha con aumento de la base de sustentación, signo de Romberg positivo, arreflexia rotuliana y aquílea. La serología VDRL de la sangre fue reactiva 1:32 y el VDRL del LCR fue reactivo 1:2. Se impuso tratamiento con penicilina por dos semanas. El paciente eliminó las manifestaciones clínicas

[Epidemiological and clinical aspects of neurosyphilis in Morocco]

Neurosyphilis accounts for 56%-70% of all visceral syphilis and is a complication in 5%-10% of cases of untreated syphilis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological aspects and clinical presentations of neurosyphilis in Morocco through a series of 201 patients attending the Centre for Neurological Services at the university hospital in Rabat between 1986 and 1997. The mean age of the patients was 41.26 [SD 9.23] years [range: 17-70 years]; the majority [91%] were male. The incidence of neurosyphilis in Morocco is high. From 31 cases per year in 1985, it has fallen since 1990 to reach 10 cases in 1997. Among the different clinical presentations recorded, chronic meningoencepahalitis was the commonest, followed by meningovasculitis, tabes dorsalis and optic atrophy

Reporte del primer caso en Costa Rica, de Enfermedad de Lhermitte-Duclos y Enfermedad de Cowden / First Lhermitte-Duclos and Cowden case in Costa Rica

Se presenta el primer caso publicado en Costa Rica de Enfermedad de Lhermitte Duclos (ELD), y Enfermedad de Cowden (EC). En una paciente de 20 años con una lesión en hemisferio cerebeloso derecho, a la cual se le realizó una biopsia. El estudio radiológico e histológico, son compatibles con la ELD. Se discuten los aspectos clínicos. Palabras clave: Lhermitte-Duclos, cerebellar tumor, Cowen disease, posterior fossa tumor, phacomatosis.

MRI and Electrophysiological findings in a case of Tabes Dorsalis

By doing MRI of spinal cord and elctrophysiological studies we were going to correlate MRI and electrophysiologi-cal findings with the known pathology of tabes dorsalis. A 45 year old male patient developed gait ataxia with a tin-gling sense in hands and feet in september of 1996. Neurological examination revealed impaired position sense in his great toes and thumbs with profound instability in the Romberg test, and areflexias in his knee and ankle jerks. Serum VDRL and TPHA test results were positive. CSF revealed pleocytosis(WBC : 16/cubic mm), elevated protein level, and reactive VDRL and FTA-ABS tests. Spinal MRI showed high signal intensity in the posterior part of the entire length of the cervical cord without enhancement with Gadolinium. Follow-up spinal MRI of the cervical area, which was taken two years after penicillin treatment did not show any interval change and spinal MRI of thoracolumbar area also showed similar finding to that of the cervical cord. Nerve conduction studies before and after the penicillin trea-ment showed normal findings except absent H-reflexes. However, the somatosensory evoked potentials with posterior tibial nerve stimulation did not show any abnormalities, which were incompatible with previous report and the known pathologic abnormality. Normal somatosensory evoked potentials suggests using any other pathways than the posterior column in conducting somatosensory evoked potentials.

Neuropathic thoracic spine due to fractured of ankylosing spondylitis and tabes dorsalis: A case report / 대한정형외과학회잡지

No abstract available.

Diagnóstico diferencial das mielopatias associadas ao protovírus T-linfotrófico humano (HTLV-1): Parte 2 / Differential diagnosis of HTLV-1 associated myelopathies: Part 2

Neste artigo, dividido em duas partes, discute-se os principais diagnósticos diferenciais das mielopatias associadas à infecçäo pelo protovírus T-linfotrópico humano (HTLV-1)-MAH. É dado especial ênfase ao diagnóstico diferencial com esclerose múltipla (EM), com neurolues, com a esclerose lateral primária, com a esclerose lateral amotrófica (ELA), com as mielopatias tóxicas e carenciais, com as heredodegeneraçöes medulares, com as mielopatias parasítárias e, finalmente, com a mielopatia vacuolar do vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV)

Diagnóstico diferencial das mielopatias associadas ao protovírus T-linfotrópico humano (HTLV-1): parte 1 / Differential diagnosis of HTLV-1 associated myelopaties: part 1

Neste artigo, dividido em duas partes, discute-se os principais diagnósticos diferenciais das mielopatias associadas à infecçäo pelo protovírus T-linfotrófico humano (HTLV-1)- MAH. É dado especial ênfase ao diagnóstico diferencial com esclerose múultipla (EM), com neurolues, com esclerose lateral primária, com a esclerose lateral amiotrófica (ELA), com as mielopatias tóxicas e carenciais, com as heredodegeneraçöes medulares, com mielopatias parasitárias, e, finalmente, com a mielopatia vacuolar do vírus da imunodeficiência humana(HIV)

Neurossífilis: atualizaçäo e descriçäo de um caso / Neurosiphilis: an up date and report of one case

Os autores, através da revisäo da literatura, destacam os aspectos importantes para o diagnóstico, tratamento e avaliaçäo da resposta terapêutica da neurossífilis (NS). As dificuldades, muitas vezes presentes, em relacionar a sintomatologia com achados sorológicos säo enfatizadas pelo relato de um caso clínico.

Neurosyphilis: A Study Of 85 Cases

85 cases of neurosyphilis were observed in Seoul National University Hospital over 6-year period (1979-1984). They were analyzed with respect to clinical symptoms and signs in individual types, serological data in both blood and CSF, changes of cytochemical compositions in CSF, and other significant findings. And some coparisons with other reports were made. They ranged from 22 to 66 years in age with the peak incidence in the forties (41%). Ratio of male to female was observed to be 4.3:1. There were 27 cases of asymptomatic neurosyphilis (NS) (32%), 14 cases of tabes dorsalis (16%), 18 cases of general paresis (21%), 2 cases of taboparesis (2%), 7cases of vascular NS (8%), 6 cases of meningeal NS (7%), 4 cases of syphilitic eight nerve involvement (5%), 4 cases of late syphilitic ocular involvement including optic atrophy (5%), and 3 cases of spinal form (4%). Except in 4 self-referral cases, alimentary system symptoms or illnesses were the main prolbems in asymptomatic neurosyphilitics (48%). Most symptomatic cases had the similar clinical pictures as described in the previous reports but some cases appeared to be combined with symptoms and signs of different types. In tabes dorsalis, patients presented paresthesia and hypoactive DTRs in lower limbs as the most frequent features. According to predominant manifestations, there were 4 cases of dementic form and 14 cases of psychotic form in general paresis but in most cases both features overlapped each other. In 8 cases of general paresis brain CT scans were performed, which revealed diffuse cerebral atrophy in five. Focal abnormalities of vascular NS were most frequently found in temporal areas (4 in 7 cases). Meningeal irritation signs were observed only in one among 6 cases 6 meningeal NS. All cases of eighth nerve involvement showed sensorineural hearing loss at high-tone level. Compared with TPHA, which was used as a criterion for the patient selection, VDRL reactivity was 98% in serum and 49% in CSF. It is notable that as for general paresis and meningeal NS, higher reactivity and elevated titers of CSF VDRL were associated with increase of cells and total protein in CSF, suggesting higher disease activity in both types. Unlike those from other countries, the domestic studies including this report show that general paresis occupies a relatively higher proportion than tabes dorsalis in Korea.

Syphilitic Charcot Spine: Report of a Cases / 대한정형외과학회잡지

In 1868 Charcot described the joint in tabes dorsalis, which since then has been designated as Charcot neuroarthrophathy. It is characterized by painless swelling and abnormal mobility of the affected joint. Arthrophthy of the type described by Charcot has been associated with various other conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, syringomyelia, injury to nerve root, congenital indifference of pain, leprosy, and intra articular use of steroid, etc. Authors present a case of Charcot spine due to tabes dorsalis.

Tumores raquimedulares en el Hospital Obrero

Se presenta el resultado de la investigacion de las historias clinicas del servicio de neurologia y neurocirugia del Hospital Obrero de La Paz, Bolivia hecha para determinar los casos de tumores raquimedulares registrado de 1977 a 1982. Se encuentra 15 casos, ocho varones y siete mujeres, comprendidos entre los 11 y 72 anos, de mayor localizacion dorsal, cinco metastaticos y diez primarios. La mielografia resulto ser el mejor cuadro de diagnostico (80% de efectividad)

Charcot Joint of the Knee / 대한정형외과학회잡지

In 1868 Charcot described the join in tabes dorsalis, which since then has been designated as Charcot neuroarthropathy. It is characterized by painless swelling and abnormal mobility of the affected joint. Arthropathy of the type described by Charcot has been associated with various other conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, syringomyelia, injury to nerve root, congenital indfference to pain, leprosy, and intra-articular use of steroid, etc. Authors present a case of Charcot joint which involved the left knee joint associated with pathologic fracture of the left tibia and fibula.