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
Salvarsan treatment was attended by the rapid disappearance of headaches
and gastric symptoms and by a rapid gain in weight and feeling of
well-being. Salvarsan was continued twice a week for two months,
whereupon Lepère returned to work. He has been successfully at work now
for seven months without return of symptoms. Four months after beginning
of treatment, the spinal fluid was examined and found entirely negative.
Nevertheless, the serum W. R. has remained positive despite eight months
of salvarsan treatment.
1. What is the meaning of the titrations in the spinal fluid
Wassermann reaction? When Plaut originally applied the Wassermann
reaction to spinal fluids, he used 0.2 of a cc. of spinal fluid.
With this amount of fluid he found that cases of general paresis
gave a positive reaction in about 100% of the cases while this
positive reaction was only given by 40 to 60% of the cases of
cerebrospinal syphilis and tabes dorsalis, hence he promulgated a
differential point that a negative reaction in spinal fluid
indicated that the case was not general paresis. Hauptmann later
showed that if 1 cc. of spinal fluid were used, a positive
reaction would occur in practically 100% of the cases of general
paresis, cerebrospinal syphilis and tabes. Therefore, at present,
we use the different titers of spinal fluid from which we draw the
following conclusions: If the reaction in the untreated case is
negative with 0.1 and 0.3 of a cc. and positive with the 0.5, 0.7
and 1 cc. dilutions as in the case of Lepère, we are probably
dealing with non-paretic neurosyphilis. With this method of
titration we are also better able to watch the progress of
treatment as the dilutions of 0.1 and 0.3 cc. become negative
first.
2. How soon can one expect improvement after commencement of
salvarsan therapy in cases of diffuse neurosyphilis? The time
relation of results in treatment varies with each individual case.
In the case of Lepère gastric symptoms that had been present for a
number of months disappeared as if by magic after the first
injection of salvarsan. As a rule, it is true that the more acute
the symptoms the quicker their disappearance but this does not
hold for all cases, as in this particular instance the
long-standing symptoms disappeared very rapidly. The symptoms
often disappear very much more rapidly than the laboratory, tests
change.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account