An 82 Year Old Male with Tinnitus: A Case of Early Neurosyphilis

Authors

Elizabeth Muller Hames, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Angelina Somorecki
Kenya M. Rivas, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Publication Title

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

Publisher

Elsevier

ISSN

1525-8610

Publication Date

3-2013

Keywords

central nervous system, neurosyphilis, tinnitus

Abstract

Infection with the spirochete Treponema pallidum is the cause of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease. Disease staging includes primary, secondary, tertiary, and latent stages. Diagnosis is made primarily through antibody testing, as T. pallidum cannot be grown in culture. Neurosyphilis occurs when T. pallidum invades the central nervous system via cerebrospinal fluid, and can be defined as early or late stage. Early neurosyphilis invades CSF, meninges, and blood vessels. The brain and spinal cord are attacked in late neurosyphilis. According to the literature, hearing loss and tinnitus are common presenting symptoms of otosyphilis, occurring in respectively 90% and 72% of cases.

DOI

10.1016/j.jamda.2012.12.014

Volume

14

Issue

3

First Page

B4

Disciplines

Medical Specialties | Medicine and Health Sciences | Osteopathic Medicine and Osteopathy

NSUWorks Citation

Hames, Elizabeth Muller; Somorecki, Angelina; and Rivas, Kenya M., "An 82 Year Old Male with Tinnitus: A Case of Early Neurosyphilis" (2013). Faculty Articles. 1517.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_com_faculty_articles/1517