Neurosyphilis presenting with status epilepticus.

BACKGROUND

With the introduction of antibiotics, neurosyphilis is now considered uncommon, and accurate diagnosis sometimes is problematic as the symptoms and signs are not pathognomonic.

REVIEW SUMMARY: We present a 51-year-old man who had a 4-month history of general malaise and subtle cognitive impairment, combined with a normal brain image study, who ultimately developed an episode of status epilepticus as the main manifestation of unrecognized neurosyphilis.

CONCLUSION

Because a clinical diagnosis of neurosyphilis is rarely encountered today in the developed world, a high index of suspicion and clinician awareness is very important in early diagnosis.