Neurosyphilis

Excerpt

Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete bacteria Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (T. pallidum). It has been called the "great imitator" due to the multitude of symptoms it produces. The diagnosis becomes further muddled by periods of active disease and latency. The term neurosyphilis refers to an infection involving the central nervous system (CNS) and, unlike primary, secondary, and tertiary syphilis can occur at any time after infection. Studies on rabbits have shown that within hours of initial infection, treponemes may be present in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Additionally, the belief is that bacterial neuroinvasion occurs in all patients, and it is a failure of clearance, which results in the condition. Five types of neurosyphilis exist, which range from the early forms consisting of asymptomatic, meningeal, and meningovascular or the late forms of general paresis and tabes dorsalis. The latter generally occurs years or decades after initial inoculation.