Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal Cord

Wenjing Zhang,1,2,* Xiaoyang Ma,1,2,* Kaiyu Qin,1,2 Cheng Kou,1,2 Canglin Song,1,2 Dongmei Xu1,2 1National Center for Infectious Disease, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital M...

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Main Authors: Zhang W, Ma X, Qin K, Kou C, Song C, Xu D
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2024-12-01
Series:Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
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Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/clinical-insights-into-neurosyphilis-patients-with-leptomeningeal-enha-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDT
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author Zhang W
Ma X
Qin K
Kou C
Song C
Xu D
author_facet Zhang W
Ma X
Qin K
Kou C
Song C
Xu D
author_sort Zhang W
collection DOAJ
description Wenjing Zhang,1,2,* Xiaoyang Ma,1,2,* Kaiyu Qin,1,2 Cheng Kou,1,2 Canglin Song,1,2 Dongmei Xu1,2 1National Center for Infectious Disease, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dongmei Xu, Department of Neurology, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, No. 8. Jingshun East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China, Email xdmlb@163.comBackground and Objectives: This study aims to report the clinical, biological, and imaging features of cross-sectional study of neurosyphilis patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord. Here, 51 neurosyphilis patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord positivity are described, offering a promise in terms of early diagnosis, thereby enabling timely detection and treatment.Methods: We retrospectively included all neurosyphilis patients enrolled in this study from December 2019 to January 2024. We identified 51 included patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord positivity. Their neuroimaging, socio-demographical, clinical status, presentations, and laboratory manifestations were reported retrospectively.Results: Magnetic resonance imaging showed lumbar or conus medullaris and cauda equina radial enhancement in 72.7%, leptomeningeal enhancement of cervical spine in 65.9%, and thoracic involvement in 55.3%. Twenty of 51 neurosyphilis patients completed the follow-up. Among the 20 patients, the lesioned region in half of patients was decreased or disappeared after therapy. The predominant phenotype was tabes dorsalis. Median age at onset was 51 years, and 72.5% were male. Urinary incontinence was found in 33.3% of patients, and memory deterioration in 39.2%. The most frequent physical sign was Argyll Robertson pupil (45.1%). The levels of white blood cells (25/28, 89.3%) and protein concentration (23/28, 82.9%) of cerebrospinal fluid were reduced in more patients after therapy.Conclusion: In this study, we first concurrently investigated the clinical course and the biological and imaging features of leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord. Leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord is common with neurosyphilis. Our findings can be useful for raising clinical awareness to select patients with symptoms of myelopathy in whom MRI images should be investigated.Keywords: neurosyphilis, leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, spine MRI
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spelling doaj-art-33a1e5dab9e14256ab5e1656d02c4d4e2025-08-20T02:49:40ZengDove Medical PressNeuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment1178-20212024-12-01Volume 202541255298436Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal CordZhang WMa XQin KKou CSong CXu DWenjing Zhang,1,2,* Xiaoyang Ma,1,2,* Kaiyu Qin,1,2 Cheng Kou,1,2 Canglin Song,1,2 Dongmei Xu1,2 1National Center for Infectious Disease, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dongmei Xu, Department of Neurology, Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University, No. 8. Jingshun East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China, Email xdmlb@163.comBackground and Objectives: This study aims to report the clinical, biological, and imaging features of cross-sectional study of neurosyphilis patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord. Here, 51 neurosyphilis patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord positivity are described, offering a promise in terms of early diagnosis, thereby enabling timely detection and treatment.Methods: We retrospectively included all neurosyphilis patients enrolled in this study from December 2019 to January 2024. We identified 51 included patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord positivity. Their neuroimaging, socio-demographical, clinical status, presentations, and laboratory manifestations were reported retrospectively.Results: Magnetic resonance imaging showed lumbar or conus medullaris and cauda equina radial enhancement in 72.7%, leptomeningeal enhancement of cervical spine in 65.9%, and thoracic involvement in 55.3%. Twenty of 51 neurosyphilis patients completed the follow-up. Among the 20 patients, the lesioned region in half of patients was decreased or disappeared after therapy. The predominant phenotype was tabes dorsalis. Median age at onset was 51 years, and 72.5% were male. Urinary incontinence was found in 33.3% of patients, and memory deterioration in 39.2%. The most frequent physical sign was Argyll Robertson pupil (45.1%). The levels of white blood cells (25/28, 89.3%) and protein concentration (23/28, 82.9%) of cerebrospinal fluid were reduced in more patients after therapy.Conclusion: In this study, we first concurrently investigated the clinical course and the biological and imaging features of leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord. Leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord is common with neurosyphilis. Our findings can be useful for raising clinical awareness to select patients with symptoms of myelopathy in whom MRI images should be investigated.Keywords: neurosyphilis, leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, spine MRIhttps://www.dovepress.com/clinical-insights-into-neurosyphilis-patients-with-leptomeningeal-enha-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDTneurosyphilisleptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cordcerebrospinal fluidspine mri
spellingShingle Zhang W
Ma X
Qin K
Kou C
Song C
Xu D
Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal Cord
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
neurosyphilis
leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord
cerebrospinal fluid
spine mri
title Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal Cord
title_full Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal Cord
title_fullStr Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal Cord
title_full_unstemmed Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal Cord
title_short Clinical Insights into Neurosyphilis Patients with Leptomeningeal Enhancement of Spinal Cord
title_sort clinical insights into neurosyphilis patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord
topic neurosyphilis
leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord
cerebrospinal fluid
spine mri
url https://www.dovepress.com/clinical-insights-into-neurosyphilis-patients-with-leptomeningeal-enha-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-NDT
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