Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case historiesSouthard, Elmer Ernest
Science
Neurosyphilis : $b Modern systematic diagnosis and treatment presented in one hundred and thirty-seven case histories
Southard, Elmer Ernest
Neurosyphilis
The patient’s history was rather suggestive of some other diagnosis. Her
birth had been normal, she walked and talked at 13 months, was at school
from six to twelve, reaching the seventh grade, and was considered
bright. At three years of age, she had been run down by a car and
dragged under the fender for a considerable distance. Her head was hurt
but the patient did not lose consciousness in the accident. Fainting
spells began at 11, in which spells the patient would lose consciousness
for a minute or two. About this time, the patient’s eyesight had begun
to fail, and for some four years she had been entirely blind. Headaches
had come on of late.
The Coughlin case, except for the above-mentioned suspicion of
syphilitic optic atrophy, might be regarded as an unusual example of a
post-traumatic disease.
We found her to be fairly well developed and nourished; there was a
deformity of the lower half of the sternum and of the third and fourth
ribs on the right side. There were no other physical phenomena found
upon systematic examination. The left pupil still reacted to light; the
right failed to react, but this lack of reaction could not be regarded
as of Argyll-Robertson nature on account of the finding of optic atrophy
with the ophthalmoscope.
=Mentally=, it appeared that the patient’s retention of school knowledge
was poor, though her blindness for four years had doubtless given her
little opportunity to keep such information fresh. Rather strangely,
Mary gave utterance to many delusions: first, expecting to receive her
sight by an operation on the head; second, to write a book of her
doings; third, to buy a house for the children; fourth, would pay $3000
for the house, earning the money by working at a tailor’s or as a
trained nurse; fifth, to go on the stage to earn money by dancing;
sixth, will have lots of money.
One of Mary’s characteristic statements is as follows: “Won’t it be
lovely when I can see Dr. H.’s face in heaven or some other lovely
place? Dr. H. was a grand doctor to me, and when we get together again
we are going to Tremont Temple and keep us together. I am going to do
some dancing and play the piano. I am going to graduate at the high
school and go to Trinity College in Washington, and I hope I shall be a
faithful keeper of mother’s tomb.”
The patient was at times euphoric and expansive.
At this stage, what with optic atrophy, euphoria, and expansive
delusions, we should perhaps be entitled, had Mary been an adult, to
offer the diagnosis GENERAL PARESIS. In fact, on the whole, any other
than a syphilitic cause for the optic atrophy was exceedingly doubtful.
Brain tumor of a nature to produce optic atrophy might very improbably
last so long as five years. There was no evidence of any intoxication at
the time when the blindness occurred.
The W. R. was positive in the blood and spinal fluid; there was a
positive globulin test, and an excess albumin as well as 15 cells per
cmm.
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