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
1. What are the causes of hemiplegia and confusion or
unconsciousness? We must consider epilepsy, brain tumor, cerebral
thrombosis, cerebral hemorrhage, multiple sclerosis, cerebral
spinal syphilis, and general paresis.
=MILD TREATMENT, often thought “adequate,” MAY FAIL, WHEN INTENSIVE
TREATMENT PROVES SUCCESSFUL.=
=Case 121.= Arthur Bright, a printer, had acquired syphilis in his 49th
year, some six months before examination. He had been treated during
these six months by three injections of salvarsan, injections of
mercury, and mercury by mouth. He had been apparently cured until about
a month before admission. He had fallen without warning from his chair
in a convulsion accompanied by unconsciousness, which lasted about two
hours. The patient had since been feeling rather peculiar. For instance,
time seemed to flow too rapidly. Sometimes the patient had had
difficulty in talking.
=Physically=, nothing abnormal could be found either in general
condition or =neurologically=. The patient was, however, incontinent.
=Mentally=, he was apathetic and unalert, even paying no attention to
his outside physician when he came to visit him.
The =diagnosis= of cerebrospinal syphilis already suggested by his
history was confirmed by the laboratory tests, which showed a positive
serum and spinal fluid W. R., paretic gold sol reaction, 41 cells per
cmm., an excess of albumin, and a positive globulin test.
1. What is the prognosis in cerebrospinal syphilis in the early
secondary stage? The prognosis appears very good provided that
intensive treatment be given and provided that no vascular insult
or other focal destructive lesion occurs before treatment has had
time to do its work.
2. Why did not the “effective” (?) treatment for the syphilis,
dating from the primary lesion, succeed in staving off the
cerebrospinal syphilis? It remains a question whether the
treatment by three injections of salvarsan was efficient in this
particular case. Of course, it may prove true that no treatment
whatever in the present stage of knowledge will stave off
cerebrospinal symptoms in certain cases.
=Treatment=: Bright was given intravenous injections of diarsenol twice
a week, with occasional injections of mercury salicylate. After two
weeks, the patient seemed markedly improved, and continued to improve
rapidly. He was symptomatically well at six weeks. The spinal fluid had
then become negative, although the serum W. R. had remained positive.
After discharge from the hospital, Bright returned to his work, but
continued to take the diarsenol treatment weekly, and two months later
the serum W. R. became negative.
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