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
=Diagnosis=: The first consideration in the case is naturally tabes
dorsalis, especially when one considers that the husband had signs which
suggested syphilis of the nervous system. The rapid onset of the acute
symptoms in this case, and the absence of the characteristic signs of
pain were at least atypical for this diagnosis, as was the absence of
any pupillary signs. Further, the W. R. was negative in the blood and
spinal fluid; there were no definite signs of inflammatory reaction as
shown by the other spinal fluid tests. These findings made a diagnosis
of tabes entirely improbable. After tabes, the most frequent cause of
the symptoms above enumerated is perhaps to be found in pernicious
anemia. Examination of the blood showed that the patient had 2,500,000
erythrocytes per cmm. The hemoglobin by Tallquist scale was 80%. The
smear was practically negative; no blasts could be seen. Although this
picture is not a typical one for pernicious anemia, at least it is
significant in the low number of red cells to be found, and as no causes
for anemia were to be found, it seemed probable that we were dealing
with a primary anemia. The diagnosis in the case, therefore, is spinal
sclerosis of primary anemia. The mental picture was not uncharacteristic
of PERNICIOUS ANEMIA.
1. Could the diagnosis be rendered in this case without a lumbar
puncture? In the first place, the emaciation is not entirely
characteristic. The pupils react normally to light. Probably such
a case might well have been regarded as one of tabes dorsalis in
former days, or even at the present time, if a lumbar puncture had
not been resorted to.
2. Could this case possibly have been one of tabes dorsalis with
negative spinal findings? Such cases have been reported
frequently, but, unlike the present case, are apt to be of
long-standing and non-progressive, in which the active
inflammation is no longer present. The negative findings would not
be consistent with tabes, in which the symptoms are of short
duration and of sudden onset.
3. If the serum W. R. had been positive would the diagnosis have
been neurosyphilis? We are loath to make the diagnosis of spinal
syphilis when the spinal fluid is normal. Syphilis may produce a
marked anemia, however, and thus produce symptoms such as shown by
Mrs. Brown. It is even possible that such is the explanation of
this case, taking into consideration the suggestive findings in
the husband. However, there is insufficient evidence to make such
an hypothesis rock firm, and we do not more than suggest it.
=Atypical case of CONGENITAL NEUROSYPHILIS—peculiar mental state.=
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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