title: Neurosyphilis Is a Long-forgotten Disease but Still a Possible Etiology for Dementia.
abstract: We herein report a heterosexual Japanese man in his forties who had been suffering from advanced dementia and personality change for 4 years. Positive results of a serological test for syphilis, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay, and fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption test of both serum and cerebral spinal fluid led to the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction was seen shortly after the first dose of penicillin was administered to the patient. His cognitive function did not recover after treatment. The incidence of syphilis has been reported to be increasing. Neurosyphilis should not be overlooked as an etiology for progressive dementia even in this post-antibiotic era.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideharu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagiya
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.forename: Kiyohiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otsuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D010400:Penicillin G