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Review
. 2020 May;47(5):296-300.
doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001155.

Otosyphilis: A Review of the Literature

Meena S Ramchandani, Jamie R Litvack  1 , Christina M Marra  2
Affiliations
Review

Otosyphilis: A Review of the Literature

Meena S Ramchandani et al. Sex Transm Dis. 2020 May.

Abstract

The number of cases of syphilis has increased in the United States and in many high-income nations. Otosyphilis is a less recognized complication of syphilis that can lead to irreversible sensorineural hearing loss. Different pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed to explain hearing loss in otosyphilis. We review the literature on otosyphilis in adults and propose the need for future work in this field to identify better ways to diagnose, treat, and manage this disease. Patients with syphilis should be screened routinely for hearing loss, and all patients with new, sudden, or fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss should be evaluated for syphilis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: No conflicts of interest are reported by the authors.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Osseous and membranous labyrinths, showing the basic arrangement and terminology of the internal ear. That the aqueduct of the cochlea communicates with the subarachnoid space is questionable. Taken by permission of the authors from: O’Rahilly, Ronan. Basic Human Anatomy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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