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
3. How can we explain the inflammatory products in the puncture
fluid? Superficial brain tumors are frequently associated with a
so-called _meningitis sympathica_. The products of such meningitis
are exhibited: _viz._, globulin, albumin, and pleocytosis, exactly
as shown in Safsky.
=Can PARETIC NEUROSYPHILIS (“general paresis”) appear clinically
EARLY (e.g., two years) after the initial syphilitic infection?=
=Case 49.= David Borofski, a street car conductor, 27 years of age,
suddenly had a convulsion while at work in his car. For four months
Borofski continued to have rather numerous convulsions, was finally
compelled to discontinue work, and resorted to the Psychopathic
Hospital. It appears from his own story that, about two years before, he
had had a chancre, for which he had been treated at a general hospital
syphilis clinic, and of which he was told he was cured. With a
progressive loss of memory and with convulsions, Borofski became much
concerned about himself, and was finally persuaded by his fellow-workers
to come to the Psychopathic Hospital.
The convulsions were described as follows: The patient gives a short
cry, has convulsive movements for about ten minutes, remains unconscious
for perhaps half an hour, and wakes with headache, dizziness, and a
feverish appearance. Sometimes the attacks were more severe, with
frothing at the mouth, biting of lips, and loss of sphincter control.
There were also slight attacks, occurring almost every day, without loss
of consciousness; these latter attacks consisted of dizziness, inability
to speak for a few seconds, and some arm twitching.
=Physically=, Borofski was well developed and nourished, with a blood
pressure of 160. The only abnormal phenomena =neurologically= were
absent knee-jerks and ankle-jerks, sluggish pupillary reactions, and
slight tremor of the hands.
=Mentally=, despite suggestive complaint of amnesia, the memory was
found to be fairly good but knowledge of current events and school
knowledge was poor. The simplest problems in arithmetic Borofski gave
up.
The first diagnosis in such a case would naturally be epilepsy. However,
when an epileptic or epileptiform attack occurs for the first time in
adult life, the chances are probably against an idiopathic epilepsy.
(This is not a universal rule but will serve.) Borofski himself,
moreover, gave a history of syphilis. And the very nature of the
attacks, with arm twitching and without loss of consciousness, would not
readily fit into the frame of the idiopathic group. The absence of
certain reflexes and the sluggish pupils are naturally also suggestive
of syphilis, although not convincing.
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