Tabes dorsalis is a late manifestation of neurosyphilis that affects the posterior columns of the spinal cord and the dorsal roots. The disease process results in demyelination and inflammation with fibrosis of the spinal cord. Affected individuals most commonly present with sensory ataxia and stabbing, knife-like lancinating pain.
Presentation
The onset of symptoms attributed to tabes dorsalis may occur anywhere from 3 to 20 years following syphilis infection [1]. The most common presentation consists of loss of coordination (sensory ataxia) and sudden sharp, stabbing-like (lancinating) pain in the face, back, or lower extremities. Other symptoms include loss of pain and vibration sensations (paresthesia), seizures (status epilepticus), visceral crisis characterized by repeated attacks of severe epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting, loss of sexual function, and bladder dysfunction (i.e., urinary retention and overflow incontinence) [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].
Depending on the duration or stage of tabes dorsalis, a patient may present with either preataxia, ataxia, or paralysis [1]. Patients with tabes dorsalis typically present with a slapping and/or wide-based gait during ambulation [7].
Entire Body System
- Falling
Updated: 7/12/2020 16 Moises Dominguez MD 0% Topic Review Topic 0 0 N/A N/A Questions 1 0 0 Topic Snapshot A 44-year-old man presents with episodes of back pain and unintentional falls. [step1.medbullets.com]
Falls das von Ihnen bestellte Buch besonders schwer oder sperrig sein sollte, werden wir Sie informieren, falls zusätzliche Versandkosten anfallen. [abebooks.fr]
Follow up at 4 and 8 months demonstrated marked clinical improvement with a falling serum VRDL titre. Repeat LP at 6 month post treatment demonstrated VDRL negativity. Discussion Tabes Dorsalis may still occur in the post antibiotic era. [jnnp.bmj.com]
Case Report A 78-year-old man was injured in a fall while wheeling his bicycle on a snowy road. [omicsonline.org]
- Severe Pain
Symptoms of tabes dorsalis include: difficulty with walking lack of coordination bouts of severe pain loss of reflexes muscle weakness loss of vision hearing problems heightened sensitivity to light changes in personality Diagnosing tabes dorsalis A physical [medic8.com]
Sudden and severely painful crises of uncertain origin are a characteristic part of the syndrome.[9] Diagnostic Procedure[edit | edit source] Diagnosis of syphilis is made using two types of tests: (1) non-treponemal serum screening tests, such as the [physio-pedia.com]
- Burning Pain
Symptoms: Symptoms may not appear for some decades after the initial infection and include: weakness, diminished reflexes, paresthesias (shooting and burning pains, pricking sensations, and formication), hypoesthesias (abnormally diminished cutaneous, [medical-institution.com]
Clinical Features: Weakness Diminished reflexes Paresthesias (shooting and burning pains, pricking sensations) Hypoesthesias (abnormally diminished cutaneous, especially tactile) Progressive degeneration of the joints Loss of coordination Personality [de.slideshare.net]
Results of Tabes Dorsalis • Weakness • Paresthesias (shooting and burning pains, pricking sensations and formication) • Hyposthesias (abnormally diminished cutaneous, especially tactile, sensory modalities) • Loss of coordination • Dementia • Deafness [slideshare.net]
Signs and symptoms[edit] Signs and symptoms may not appear for decades after the initial infection and include weakness, diminished reflexes, paresthesias (shooting and burning pains, pricking sensations, and formication), hypoesthesias (abnormally diminished [en.wikipedia.org]
- Difficulty Walking
Coordination difficulties contribute to problems walking. [checkorphan.org]
The patient began to experience difficulty walking in the dark and urinary incontinence and sought other medical advice. [lksom.temple.edu]
They may also experience loss of body balance and coordination (sensory ataxia) with difficulty walking. [statpearls.com]
- Impaired Balance
Problem List: Impaired sensation Weakness Hypotonicity Impaired coordination Impaired gait Impaired balance 9. Goals for Physiotherapy: 1. Educate about sensory loss and educate on precautions to be taken 2. Strengthening of muscles 3. [de.slideshare.net]
Gastrointestinal
- Abdominal Pain
[…] in the legs, paralysis of the leg muscles, acute abdominal pain, etc Etymology: New Latin, literally: tabes of the back; see tabes, dorsal ' tabes dorsalis ' also found in these entries: [wordreference.com]
Muscular function impairment, abdominal pains, and severe gastrointestinal/excretory system crisis (sudden onset with rapid subsidence) are observed. [dovemed.com]
- Constipation
CLINICAL FEATURES BLADDER & BOWEL : Loss of bladder sensation Large & atonic bladder Constipation Faecal incontinence Impotence 11. [slideshare.net]
Pseudotabes. ta·bet·ic neu·ro·syph·i·lis ( tă-bet'ik nūr'ō-sif'i-lis ) Type of neurosyphilis in which the posterior roots of the spinal cord, especially in the lumbosacral area, are the principal sites of infection, resulting in ataxia, hypotonia, impotence, constipation [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]
Patients need a good bowel regimen to avoid constipation, which can trigger a visceral crisis. Since this is a chronic illness, respite care should be provided for the caregivers. [encyclopedia.com]
- Fecal Incontinence
Spinal cord involvement may cause weakness and wasting of shoulder-girdle and arm muscles, slowly progressive leg weakness with urinary or fecal incontinence or both, and, rarely, sudden paralysis of the legs due to thrombosis of spinal arteries. [msdmanuals.com]
Skin
- Foot Ulcer
Victims become unable to sense pain, limb position, and temperature; these sensory deficits cause loss of bladder and sometimes bowel control, severe foot ulcerations, and Charcot joints (an osteoarthritis that typically involves the knees and hip). [britannica.com]
Common symptoms can include: Episodes of intense pain and disturbed sensation Weakness Diminished reflexes Unsteady gait Foot slap Progressive degeneration of the joints (Charcot's joints) Foot ulcers Loss of coordination Personality changes Dementia [syphilis.emedtv.com]
Joint damage and foot ulcers occur and vision may be affected by optic nerve involvement. Treatment with penicillin can arrest the progress of the disease. Also known as locomotor ataxia. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]
Restoring pulsatile blood flow to the foot is one of the tenets of treatment of forefoot ulceration/gangrene. [woundsresearch.com]
- Formication
Symptoms: Symptoms may not appear for some decades after the initial infection and include: weakness, diminished reflexes, paresthesias (shooting and burning pains, pricking sensations, and formication), hypoesthesias (abnormally diminished cutaneous, [medical-institution.com]
Results of Tabes Dorsalis • Weakness • Paresthesias (shooting and burning pains, pricking sensations and formication) • Hyposthesias (abnormally diminished cutaneous, especially tactile, sensory modalities) • Loss of coordination • Dementia • Deafness [slideshare.net]
Signs and symptoms[edit] Signs and symptoms may not appear for decades after the initial infection and include weakness, diminished reflexes, paresthesias (shooting and burning pains, pricking sensations, and formication), hypoesthesias (abnormally diminished [en.wikipedia.org]
Eyes
- Visual Impairment
impairment, and impaired response to light. [ninds.nih.gov]
impairment, positive Romberg’s test, and impaired response to light ( Argyll Robertson pupil ). [medical-institution.com]
- Photophobia
Now more commonly called “tabetic ocular crises,” an attack is characterized by sudden, intense ocular pain, lacrimation and photophobia. [medical-institution.com]
Now more commonly called “tabetic ocular crises,” an attack is characterized by sudden, intense ocular pain, lacrimation and photophobia. “Tabes dorsalgia” is a related back pain. [dailymeded.com]
In patients with HIV infection, the presence of photophobia, vision loss, or hearing loss and gait incoordination make the likelihood of a reactive CSF-VDRL higher.[13] Evaluation Since Treponemal pallidum cannot be grown in a culture medium, serology [statpearls.com]
Ocular involvement [32] often includes anterior uveitis or panuveitis (granulomatous or nongranulomatous), retinitis, retinal vasculitis, vitreitis, and papillitis. [33, 34] Symptoms of photophobia and dimming of vision obviously could develop. [emedicine.com]
- Pupillary Abnormality
Pupillary abnormalities are present in almost all the cases. Pupils on two sides are unequal. Accomodation reflex is retained while light reflex is lost. Complete Argyll-Robertson pupil may develop later on. [healthdrip.com]
The mydriatic reaction to atropine is rather poor, and the pupil does not dilate with painful skin stimuli. [13] It must be realized, however, that pupillary abnormalities are not always of this typical pattern. [ijstd.org]
An ophthalmological consult is recommended with pupillary abnormalities when considering the diagnosis of tabes dorsalis. [statpearls.com]
Tremors of the mouth, tongue, outstretched hands, and whole body may occur; other signs include pupillary abnormalities, dysarthria, hyperreflexia, and, in some patients, extensor plantar responses. Handwriting is usually shaky and illegible. [msdmanuals.com]
- Lacrimation
Now more commonly called “tabetic ocular crises,” an attack is characterized by sudden, intense ocular pain, lacrimation and photophobia. [medical-institution.com]
Now more commonly called “tabetic ocular crises,” an attack is characterized by sudden, intense ocular pain, lacrimation and photophobia. “Tabes dorsalgia” is a related back pain. [dailymeded.com]
Those in the middle fossa are the middle and accessory meningeal of the internal maxillary; a branch from the ascending pharyngeal, which enters the skull through the foramen lacerum; branches from the internal carotid, and a recurrent branch from the lacrimal [theodora.com]
- Miosis
(La tabe dorsale è una mielo-meningoradicolite che interessa i cordoni posteriori del midollo spinale, con disturbi della sensibilità, atassia, assenza di riflessi, crisi dolorose, disturbi sfinterici, atrofia ottica e miosi.) [abebooks.com]
Musculoskeletal
- Back Pain
A 28-year-old man was hospitalized with lightning back pain, nausea, and bladder bowel dysfunction. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed high titers of Treponema pallidum antibody, and the serum IgA level was less than 5 mg/dl. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
“Tabes dorsalgia” is a related back pain. “ Tabetic gait ” is a characteristic high-stepping gait of untreated syphilis where the patient’s feet slap the ground as they strike the floor due to loss of proprioception. [medical-institution.com]
Updated: 7/12/2020 16 Moises Dominguez MD 0% Topic Review Topic 0 0 N/A N/A Questions 1 0 0 Topic Snapshot A 44-year-old man presents with episodes of back pain and unintentional falls. [step1.medbullets.com]
Now more commonly called “tabetic ocular crises,” an attack is characterized by sudden, intense ocular pain, lacrimation and photophobia. “Tabes dorsalgia” is a related back pain. [dailymeded.com]
DTR are diminished or absent "Tabes dorsalgia" related back pain. "Tabetic gait" is a characteristic high- stepping gait - Tabetic Ataxia Deafness 6. [de.slideshare.net]
- Leg Pain
The patient was treated with intravenous penicillin for 14 days, and gabapentin was started for the neuropathic leg pains. [nejm.org]
He thinks that it was in 1875 that he started complaining of pain in the legs, with subsequent occasional falls in the street. [karger.com]
This form of Neurosyphilis has becoming increasingly rare with the commencement of penicillin antibiotic treatment Optic Atrophy Tertiary Syphilis: Neurosyphilis – Tabes Dorsalis signs and symptoms include: Intense back and leg pain (stabbing pain that [dovemed.com]
- Neuropathic Arthropathy
61 Patra S...Mishra A 22174538 2010 50 Neuropathic arthropathy progressing with multiple joint involvement in the upper extremity due to syringomyelia and type I Arnold-Chiari malformation. 61 Nacir B...Erdem HR 19547980 2010 [malacards.org]
General Radiologically, it can manifest as a Charcot joint (neuropathic arthropathy), usually involving either the hip, knee or spine. MRI Longitudinal T2-weighted hyperintensity in the dorsal columns of the spinal cord. [radiopaedia.org]
Total knee arthroplasty in neuropathic arthropathy. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2002 Mar. 84(2):216-9. [Medline]. Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Tantalo LC, Sahi SK, Lukehart SA. [medscape.com]
Salvage with arthrodesis in intractable diabetic neuropathic arthropathy of the foot and ankle. J Bone Joint Surg 1993;75A:1056-66. 36. Armstrong DG, Todd WF, Lavery LA, et al. [japi.org]
Neurologic
- Ataxia
(see also Paralysis) 344.9 Pel's crisis 094.0 Sclerosis, sclerotic posterior (spinal cord) (syphilitic) 094.0 Syphilis, syphilitic (acquired) 097.9 ataxia, locomotor (progressive) 094.0 cord, bladder 094.0 locomotor ataxia 094.0 spastic spinal paralysis [icd9data.com]
The most common presentation consists of loss of coordination (sensory ataxia) and sudden sharp, stabbing-like (lancinating) pain in the face, back, or lower extremities. [symptoma.com]
— Ataxia, Locomotor — Ataxias, Locomotor — Locomotor Ataxias — Syphilitic Meningomyelitis — Meningomyelitides, Syphilitic — Meningomyelitis, Syphilitic — Syphilitic Meningomyelitides — Myelosyphilis — Spinal Cord Syphilis — Syphilis, Spinal Cord [mesh.kib.ki.se]
Differentiating tabes dorsalis from other Diseases Tabes dorsalis must be differentiated from other diseases that cause lightning pains, impaired sensation and proprioception, and progressive sensory ataxia and unsteady gait (locomotor ataxia) and sexual [wikidoc.org]
- Personality Change
For clinical symptoms and signs, dementia and/or personality change were recorded in all patients with general paresis, and lancinating pain was found in six of seven cases of TD; another one case was recruited in this study because of visual loss. [neuro.psychiatryonline.org]
Symptoms may not appear for many years after the initial infection and include weakness, diminished reflexes, unsteady gait, and loss of coordination, episodes of intense pain and disturbed sensation (paresthesias), personality changes, dementia, deafness [secure.ssa.gov]
changes, dementia, deafness, visual impairment, and impaired response to light. [ninds.nih.gov]
changes, urinary incontinence, dementia, deafness, visual impairment, positive Romberg’s test, and impaired response to light ( Argyll Robertson pupil ). [medical-institution.com]
- Abnormal Gait
The condition tends to present 15 to 20 years after the initial infection and is characterized by lightening-like pains in the lower extremities, URINARY INCONTINENCE; ATAXIA; severely impaired position and vibratory sense, abnormal gait (see GAIT DISORDERS [fcd.mcw.edu]
The condition tends to present 15 to 20 years after the initial infection and is characterized by lightening-like pains in the lower extremities, Urinary incontinence ; Ataxia ; severely impaired position and vibratory sense, abnormal gait (see Gait disorders [jove.com]
- Areflexia
Nerve damage will be suggested by the presence of areflexia. Apart from this, the physician may also order certain tests to include CT scans of the head, spine, brain and spinal cord. [epainassist.com]
[…] lack of coordination bouts of severe pain loss of reflexes muscle weakness loss of vision hearing problems heightened sensitivity to light changes in personality Diagnosing tabes dorsalis A physical examination will usually reveal a lack of reflexes (areflexia [medic8.com]
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. [jkna.org]
[…] tă-bet'ik nūr'ō-sif'i-lis ) Type of neurosyphilis in which the posterior roots of the spinal cord, especially in the lumbosacral area, are the principal sites of infection, resulting in ataxia, hypotonia, impotence, constipation, hypotonic bladder, areflexia [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]
- Hyporeflexia
Patients with tabes dorsalis commonly present with ataxia, Charcot joints, lancinating nerve pains, hyporeflexia, and Argyll-Robertson pupils. Key Points [pixorize.com]
Ataxic gait and hyporeflexia are caused by purely sensory deficits due to irritation and destruction of the sensory afferents in the lumbosacral dorsal roots, affecting the incoming heavily myelinated proprioceptive fibers (later seen as demyelination [lksom.temple.edu]
Charcot joint, hyporeflexia, Romberg sign, are also relatively common findings, as seen in this patient. Syphilitic optic atrophy 6 is considered a separate entity that is seen in less than 10% of cases. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Examination of the legs detects hypotonia, hyporeflexia, impaired vibratory and joint position sense, ataxia in the heel-shin test, absence of deep pain sensation, and Romberg sign. Tabes dorsalis tends to be intractable even with treatment. [msdmanuals.com]
Urogenital
- Urinary Incontinence
It is characterised by sensory ataxia, lightening pains and urinary incontinence. If left untreated it can progress to paralysis and dementia. [jnnp.bmj.com]
Tabes dorsalis is a late manifestation of untreated syphilis that is characterized by ataxia, lancinating pains, and urinary incontinence. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Clinical findings Sharp pain, ataxia, optic-nerve degeneration leading to blindness, urinary incontinence, loss of position sense, joint degeneration (aslo known as Charcot’s joints). tabes dorsalis Tabes syphilis, tabetic neurosyphilis Neurology Slowly [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]
A 47-year-old man with a history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection presented with an 8-month history of severe paroxysmal shooting pains in his legs, progressive difficulty in walking, tinnitus, and urinary incontinence. [nejm.org]
- Overflow Incontinence
Urine overflow incontinence is very common as the bladder loses its muscular tone. Constipation, impotence, deafness, painless foot ulcers and painless hip and knee arthritis are other features. [encyclopedia.com]
Urinary retention and overflow incontinence may occur in the early stages due to bladder dysfunction. [statpearls.com]
- Dysuria
A 22-year-old man with dysuria and numbness of the lower limbs; later found to be HIV-positive View Case Read more about 10172019 Comments [ajnr.org]
She denied experiencing any accompanying headaches, dizziness, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, rhinorrhea, sore throat, cough, chest pain, dyspnea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, flank pain, dysuria, polyuria, hematuria, or myalgias. [cureus.com]
- Urinary Retention
retention and overflow incontinence). [symptoma.com]
Urinary retention and overflow incontinence may occur in the early stages due to bladder dysfunction. [statpearls.com]
Workup
Workup consists of a thorough history, physical exam, and laboratory testing (serum and cerebrospinal spinal fluid analysis). The medical history should elicit information about the current or past diagnosis of syphilis, neurologic or ocular disease, and human immunodeficiency virus infection.
A neurological and ocular physical exam should be performed. Abnormalities of the pupils are common in patients with tabes dorsalis; Argyll-Robertson pupils are present in approximately half of patients [8]. Other neurologic exam findings include loss of reflexes, proprioceptive sense, sensory ataxia, and/or Charcot joints [9]. Examination of the skin may reveal trophic ulcers (mal perforans).
Serum testing will establish the diagnosis of syphilis. Commonly used tests for syphilis include:
- Non-treponemal tests (venereal disease research laboratory -VDRL and rapid plasma reagin)
- Treponemal tests (Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption, micro hemagglutination assay-T pallidum, fluorescent Treponemal antibody-absorption double staining)
During early syphilis, both types of test are positive. However, during late syphilis, such as with tabes dorsalis, non-treponemal tests may be negative and treponemal tests will be positive. This testing pattern indicates that the patient had syphilis in the past and may be at risk for neurosyphilis [10] [11].
A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exam should be performed to establish the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. Neurosyphilis is consistent with the following CSF findings: a negative CSF-VDRL, CSF lymphocyte count >5 cells/µL, and elevated protein count (>45 mg/dL) [12]. The CSF-VDRL test may be false positive when there is contamination of the CSF with blood [13] [14]. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of treponemal nucleic acids may also be performed. The CSF may be tested for diagnostic markers of neurosyphilis such as intrathecally produced anti-treponemal antibodies and oligoclonal bands.
Tests that aid in the diagnosis, but are not confirmatory, include computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spine showing patterns of parenchymal disease that is consistent with neurosyphilis such as ischemic lesions, frontocortical atrophy, cerebral gumma, or disseminated frontal high signal lesions in T2-weighted MRI sequences [11] [15]. Electrophysiologic testing may prove useful for ruling out neurological disorders; a triad of normal nerve conduction studies that reveal absent H-reflexes, normal nerve studies, and reduced posterior column conduction is highly indicative of tabes dorsalis. An electroencephalogram (EEG) findings may indicate complex partial or isolated status epilepticus [4] [5].
Cytology
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Abnormality
Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinical and laboratory features. J Infect Dis. 2004 Feb 1. 189(3):369-76. [Medline]. Holmes MD, Brant-Zawadzki MM, Simon RP. [medscape.com]
fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinical and laboratory features. [statpearls.com]
Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinical and laboratory features. J Infect Dis. 2004 Feb 1. 189(3):369-76. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. Holmes MD, Brant-Zawadzki MM, Simon RP. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Treatment
Is there any treatment? Penicillin, administered intravenously, is the treatment of choice. Associated pain can be treated with opiates, valproate, or carbamazepine. [web.archive.org]
Treatment: The treatment of tabes dorsalis would be two fold and these will include the medical treatment as well as physical rehabilitation. When it comes to medical treatment, penicillin, administered intravenously, is the treatment of choice. [medigoo.com]
Treatment: Penicillin, administered intravenously, is the treatment of choice. Associated pain can be treated with opiates, valproate, or carbamazepine. Patients may also require physical therapy to deal with muscle wasting and weakness. [medical-institution.com]
Read More Read Less Treatment Treatment Penicillin, administered intravenously, is the treatment of choice. Associated pain can be treated with opiates, valproate, or carbamazepine. [ninds.nih.gov]
Treatment does not reverse existing nerve damage. [pennstatehershey.adam.com]
Prognosis
Read More Read Less Prognosis Prognosis If left untreated, tabes dorsalis can lead to paralysis, dementia, and blindness. Existing nerve damage cannot be reversed. Read More Read Less Clinical Trials Clinical Trials [ninds.nih.gov]
Prognosis If left untreated, tabes dorsalis can lead to paralysis, dementia, and blindness. Existing nerve damage cannot be reversed. [brainfacts.org]
[edit | edit source] Prognosis is good after treatment, but Tabes dorsalis may lead to paralysis, blindness and dementia if left untreated. [physio-pedia.com]
Etiology
[…] laboratory methods, more or less specific as indexes of syphilitic conditions, interest was renewed in the study of this disease entity, and I feel that it may be safely stated that it is now held that syphilis plays the all important rôle as the true etiologic [jamanetwork.com]
Regardless of etiology and pathogenesis, the diseases of the spinal cord mainly involving the dorsal column have similar manifestations. [statpearls.com]
Etiology Treponema bacteria (particularly during stages I /II) are highly contagious! Sexual contact with a partner who suffers from active syphilis will lead to infection in 30% of cases! [amboss.com]
Epidemiology
Tabes Dorsalis Microchapters Home Patient Information Overview Historical Perspective Pathophysiology Causes Differentiating Tabes Dorsalis from other Diseases Epidemiology and Demographics Risk Factors Screening Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis [wikidoc.org]
Epidemiology References: [1] [2] Epidemiological data refers to the US, unless otherwise specified. Etiology Treponema bacteria (particularly during stages I /II) are highly contagious! [amboss.com]
[citation needed] Epidemiology[edit] The disease is more frequent in males than in females. Onset is commonly during mid-life. The incidence of tabes dorsalis is rising, in part due to co-associated HIV infection. [en.wikipedia.org]
Pathophysiology
Trials.gov US National Guidelines Clearinghouse NICE Guidance FDA on Tabes Dorsalis pathophysiology CDC on Tabes Dorsalis pathophysiology Tabes Dorsalis pathophysiology in the news Blogs on Tabes Dorsalis pathophysiology Directions to Hospitals Treating [wikidoc.org]
References Syphilis: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations in patients without HIV. (2020). [cureus.com]
References: [3] [4] Pathophysiology Clinical features Primary syphilis Primary lesion ( chancre ) Typically starts out as a solitary, raised papule (usually on the genitals) Evolves into painle ss, firm ulcer with indurated borde rs and smooth base Resolves [amboss.com]
It was estimated that about 1.5% to 9% of syphilis is complicated by tabes dorsalis.[7] Pathophysiology Treponema pallidum pallidum invades the body through abrasions in the skin and intact mucous membranes and then travels via the lymphatics and blood [statpearls.com]
The understanding of the anatomy and the pathophysiology of the central nervous system was well advanced and contemporary descriptions of individual diseases of the nervous system are recognizable today. [karger.com]
Prevention
The NINDS supports and conducts research on neurodegenerative disorders, such as tabes dorsalis, in an effort to find ways to prevent, treat, and, ultimately, cure these disorders. [web.archive.org]
Treating the infection helps prevent new nerve damage and may reduce symptoms. Treatment does not reverse existing nerve damage. [healthing.ca]
Health knowledge - a thorough and concise knowledge of the prevention, causes, and treatments of disease, simplified for home use (1920) (14595212919).jpg 734 × 1 534; 110 KB The glands of life - a contribution to the study of organotherapy (1914) (14593762060 [commons.wikimedia.org]
References
- Merritt HH, Adams RD, Solomon HC. Neurosyphilis, Oxford University Press, New York 1946.
- Conde-Sendín MA, Amela-Peris R, Aladro-Benito Y, Maroto AA. Current clinical spectrum of neurosyphilis in immunocompetent patients.Eur Neurol. 2004;52:29-35.
- Hooshmand H, Escobar MR, Kopf SW. Neurosyphilis. A study of 241 patients. JAMA. 1972;219:726.
- Ances BM, Shellhaus R, Brown MJ, Rios OV, Herman ST, French JA. Neurosyphilis and status epilepticus: case report and literature review. Epilepsy Res. 2004; 59:67-70.
- Vojvodic NM, Sokic DV, Jankovic SM, Delic S. Isolated episodes of status epilepticus as the manifestation of neurosyphilis: a case report. Epilepsia. 2003;44:623.
- Yao Y, Huang E, Xie B, Cheng Y. Neurosyphilis presenting with psychotic symptoms and status epilepticus. Neurol Sci. 2012;33:99-1
- Murugan S, Sanjeev B, Kaleelullah MC. Pattern of late syphilis: A decade study. Indian J Sex Transm Dis 1986;7:61-3.
- Moradi A, Salek S, Daniel E, et al. Clinical features and incidence rates of ocular complications in patients with ocular syphilis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015;159:334-43.
- Berger JR, Dean D. Neurosyphilis. Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;121:1461-72. Neurol Sci. 2012;33:99-102.
- Solbrig MV, Healy JF, Jay CA. Infections of the Nervous System. A Bacterial Infection. Neurology in Clinical Practice. The Neurological Disorders. Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Gerald MF, Marsden CD (Eds). Third Edition. Butterword Heinemann. 2000;2:1317-51.
- Knudsen PR, Menezes MS de. Neurosyphilis. eMedicine, Neurology, Neurological infections. Editors: Pruitt AA, Talavera F, Thomas FP, Benbadis SR, Lorenzo N. Last updated: 2005;1-10.
- Wong T, Fonseca K, Chernesky MA, Garceau R, Levett PN, Serhir B. Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network laboratory guidelines for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis in Canada.Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. 2015;26 Suppl A:18A-22A.
- Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Smith SL, et al. Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinical and laboratory features. J Infect Dis. 2004;189:369.
- Solbrig MV, Healy JF, Jay CA. Infections of the Nervous System. A Bacterial Infection. Neurology in Clinical Practice. The Neurological Disorders. Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Gerald MF, Marsden CD (Eds). Third Edition. Butterword Heinemann. 2000;2:1317-51.
- Zhang HL, Lin LR, Liu GL, et al.Clinical spectrum of neurosyphilis among HIV-negative patients in the modern era. Dermatology. 2013;226:148-56.