Dementia as the typical manifestation of neurosyphilis: a systematic analysis
10.3760/cma.j.issn.1671-8925.2011.06.024
- VernacularTitle:以痴呆为突出表现的神经梅毒系统分析
- Author:
Jing ZHANG
1
;
Ping LI
;
Xin SHI
;
Run-Qiu LIU
;
Zhi-Hua YAN
;
Yong-Lian CAI
;
Xiao-Dong SUN
Author Information
1. 苏州大学附属第二医院
- Keywords:
Dementia;
Neurosyphilis;
Systematic analysis
- From:
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine
2011;10(6):637-640
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To study the clinical features, therapy and prognosis of neurosyphilis typically manifested as dementia to improve its diagnosis and treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients with neurosyphilis typically manifested as dementia, searched in Medline and Chinese Biomedical Literature Datebase (CBM) from 1989 to 2010, was performed. Results Forty-four studies involving 62 patients (61 cases of general paresis and 1 case of syphilitic psychoneurosis) were evaluated;the clinical features of them included the follows: male are more common;most of them had insidious onset;memory impairment and personality changes were the first common symptoms;diffuse cerebral atrophy was found in MRI and CT;serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) syphilis antibody reaction was positive with some exceptional case;definite diagnosis was difficult;after anti-syphilitic therapy, symptoms could be improved more or less in a short time;and evidence of long-term prognosis was insufficient. Conclusion Both general paresis and syphilitic psychoneurosis could cause dementia. Dementia patients should be given serum and CSF syphilis antibody examination routinely if the causes of dementia are unknown. Anti-syphilitic and symptomatic treatments mostly enjoy good curative effects in a short term. Close follow-up is necessary in observing the forward effects.
