Neurosyphilis manifesting as spinal transverse myelitis

Abstract

Spinal myelitis caused by neurosyphilis is an extremely rare disease, and there are only few visual examples of magnetic resonance imaging scans. We present a clinical case of neurosyphilis, which is of great importance concerning diagnostic, differential diagnosis, and tactics of management. A patient complaining of progressive legs weakness, numbness, and shooting-like pain in the legs as well as pelvic dysfunction was admitted to the hospital. Neurological examination revealed spinal cord lesion symptoms: legs weakness, impairment of superficial and deep sensation together with pathological symptoms in the legs. Hernia of intervertebral disc or tumor was suspected, and myelography with computed tomography of the spine was performed. No pathological findings were observed. More precise examination of the patient (a small scar in the genitals and condylomata lata in anal region were noticed) pointed to possible syphilis-induced spinal cord lesion. Serologic syphilis diagnostic tests (Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay, reagin plasma response, serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and cerebrospinal fluid tests (general cerebrospinal fluid test and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test) confirmed the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. Spinal cord lesion determined by magnetic resonance imaging was evaluated as spinal syphilis or syphilis-induced myelitis. Conventional treatment showed a partial effect.