el Alaoui-Faris M, Medejel A, al Zemmouri K, Yahyaoui M, Chkili T Service de Neurologie, Hopital des specialites Rabat, Maroc.
1: Rev Neurol (Paris) 1990;146(1):41-4
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis syndrome of syphilitic origin. 5 cases.
We studied 5 cases of syphilitic lateral amyotrophic sclerosis. The diagnosis was based on the presence of a lymphocytic reaction in the CSF and positive VDRL and TPHA reactions in both blood and CSF. Clinically, the disease affected the arms in 3 cases and produced paraplegia in 2 cases. The gradual extension of amyotrophy over several months, the diffusion of electromyographic abnormalities and the finding of spinal cord atrophy at myelography and CT suggested a subacute ischemic mechanism with meningo-myelic arteritis involving the anterior horns.
After treatment with penicillin G in high doses, the outcome was constantly favourable, with improvement of motor deficit in 4 cases and stabilisation in 1 case in a 5 to 13 years' follow-up.
Publication Types: Review Review of reported cases MeSH Terms: Adult Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/physiopathology Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/etiology* Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/drug therapy Cerebrospinal Fluid/analysis Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins/analysis English Abstract Female Follow-Up Studies Human Lymphocytosis/cerebrospinal fluid Male Middle Age Neurosyphilis/complications* Penicillin G/therapeutic use Syndrome Syphilis Serodiagnosis Substances: Penicillin G Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins PMID: 2408129, UI: 90176246
