Argemi, Xavier, Hansmann, Yves, Martin, Marjolaine, Lefebvre, Nicolas, Douiri, N, Christmann, D, Chanson, Jean-baptiste, Sauer, Arnaud, De Martino, Sylvie, Virulence Bactérienne Précoce : fonctions cellulaires et contrôle de l'infection aigüe et subaigüe, Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA), Virulence bactérienne précoce : fonctions cellulaires et contrôle de l'infection aiguë et subaiguë, Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques (BMNST), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), and Dynamique des interactions hôte pathogène (DIHP)
OBJECTIVE: After a decade of constant decline, the number of syphilis cases has been steadily increasing since the 2000s, particularly in HIV infected patients. Neurosyphilis is a rare manifestation of this sexually transmitted disease for which we performed a retrospective study and analyzed clinical manifestations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively all the neurosyphilis cases admitted to Strasbourg University Hospital between 2004 and 2014. We included and analyzed 13 patients admitted during this period who met the diagnostic criteria for neurosyphilis. RESULTS: Nine of 13 patients had isolated visual manifestations; three (23.1%) experienced posterior uveitis, two (15.4%), panuveitis, and 4 (30.8%) had papillitis. Out of five patients (38.5%) who were HIV positive, three (60%) had a CD4 cell count above 400/mm3 at the time of diagnosis of neurosyphilis. All patients received parenteral penicillin G or cephalosporin, and 5/13 (38.5%) received systemic corticotherapy. CONCLUSION: Ophthalmologists appear as key players in the identification, management and follow-up of neurosyphilis, since ocular findings are key diagnostic features in these patients.