[A man in his forties with acute onset of speech impairment and unilateral paresis].

BACKGROUND

Stroke has several causes and the diagnostic investigation can be challenging. Neurosyphilis occurs when Treponema pallidum infects the central nervous system, and is a rare cause of stroke.

CASE PRESENTATION: A man in in his late forties with diabetes mellitus and overweight presented with headache, speech impairment and right-sided stroke symptoms. He also had cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms. He underwent intravenous thrombolysis, and standardised stroke investigation was without clear findings. Cerebral MRI demonstrated non-specific subtle changes in the primary motor cortex in the left frontal lobe. However, lumbar puncture revealed elevated white blood cell count, and syphilis tests were positive.

INTERPRETATION: Diagnosis of syphilis is often difficult and requires specific suspicion. Due to increasing incidence of the disease and its therapeutic consequences, alertness around the condition is important. Neurosyphilis should be suspected in young patients with stroke symptoms in the absence of risk factors and/or with cryptogenic strokes, especially in the presence of risk factors for syphilis infection and in patients from endemic areas.