PURPOSE: To evaluate the CT and MRI findings of neurosyphilis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectivelyreviewed the CT and MR imaging findings in five patients with intracranial neurosyphilis confirmed by CSF, VDRL,TPHA, and clinical follow-up. MR imaging was performed in all five cases, and CT in two. RESULTS: The MRI and CTfindings of intracranial neurosyphilis included infarction (n=3), focal inflammation (n=1) and encephalopathy(n=1). There was a total of ten infaretions : three of the basal ganglia, two each of the frontal lobe, watershedzone, and cerebellum, and one of the occipital lobe. Intaretion was most common in MCA territory (n=9; 50%),followed by the watershed zone (16.6%), posterior cerebral artery territory (16.6%), and posterior inferiorcerebellar artery territory (11.1%), The size of the lesion varied from 1cm to larger than one lobe. One patientshowed diffuse high signal intensity in the left temporal lobe, but on follow-up MRI, this had resolved. CONCLUSION: The most common finding of neurosyphilis, as seen on MRI and CT, was infarction in middle cerebralarterial territory.
Arteries ; Basal Ganglia ; Cerebellum ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Infarction ; Inflammation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neurosyphilis* ; Occipital Lobe ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Syphilis ; Temporal Lobe