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
In December, 1903, the patient was untidy and helpless, lying with his
thighs and legs flexed. The limbs were spastic on passive motion. In
1905, the pain sense of the legs was found lost and the pupils were
small and stiff. The protruded tongue was deflected to the right. The
right labial fold was more prominent than the left. Knee-jerks remained
absent. Ataxia was extreme.
The =Neurological Findings= may be summed up as follows:
1. Ataxia of the legs.
2. (Probable) Diminished sensibility in the legs.
3. Pupils small and stiff. Left smaller than the right.
4. Paralysis of left facialis.
5. Paralysis of left external rectus.
6. Tongue protruded to right.
7. Right elbow jerk greater than left.
8. Knee-jerks absent.
The cause of death was bronchopneumonia. The walls and valves of the
heart showed a few chronic changes. There was a marked splenitis and an
atrophy of the liver. The kidneys showed numerous depressed scars. The
arch of the aorta was somewhat sclerotic. The following is a full
description of the head findings which we present by way of comparison
with other cases. Note especially the cerebellar, dentate, and olivary
changes. Note also the fact that palpable sclerosis is demonstrable over
a far larger area than atrophy, so that we may almost safely conclude
that the process of induration sometimes precedes that of atrophy. One
gets the impression from the extent of visible atrophy and tangible
induration in this case, that a possible therapy would have not merely
to clear the perivascular spaces of cells and spirochetes, but would
also need to arrest the indurating and wasting process. Nor could any
therapy deal effectively with the superior frontal and upper central
atrophy of the cerebrum of this case, or with the olivary and cerebellar
lesions.
=Head=: Hair thin at vertex. Scalp normal. Calvarium thin and dense.
Dura mater slightly adherent to calvarium at vertex. Sinuses normal.
Arachnoidal villi well developed. Pia mater of anterior and central
regions contains an excess of fluid. The pial veins well injected.
The =pia mater= exhibits one unusual lesion: Faintly yellowish brown
spots of miliary and slightly larger size are scattered irregularly in
clusters over the vertex. These miliary pial macules are observed
especially over the posterior third of the left superior frontal gyrus
(a group of twelve or more). Two are seen in the pia mater of the right
superior frontal gyrus. One is seen in the upper part of the left post
central gyrus. The upper end of the right postcentral gyrus contains
three macules.
Besides these brownish macules, the pia mater also shows focal white
thickenings which resemble the more frequent appearances of chronic
fibrous leptomeningitis. The white thickenings are of irregular size but
are, as a rule, larger than the macules above mentioned. They occur, as
a rule, over the sulcal veins and are most frequent in the anterior
region.
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