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Query: UMLS:C0021051 (immunodeficiency)
 71,517 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Coinfection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Treponema pallidum may predispose to accelerated neurosyphilis. The mechanism underlying this interaction is undefined, but usually presumed to result from HIV-induced suppression of cell-mediated immunity as reflected in the CD4 T-lymphocyte count. We report a patient infected with HIV who developed aggressive neurosyphilis despite a CD4 count of 1000/mm3. The CD4 cells constituted 17% of his total lymphocytes. Our case suggests that while severe neurosyphilis can occur in HIV-infected persons with normal absolute CD4 counts, the percentage of CD4 cells may be a better indicator of the risk of neurosyphilis. These observations are relevant to designing treatment strategies for patients coinfected with HIV and T pallidum based on measures of their immunocompetence.
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PMID:Acute syphilitic meningitis in a man with seropositivity for human immunodeficiency virus infection and normal numbers of CD4 T lymphocytes. 844 16

We present our findings in 14 patients with a serologically verified diagnosis of ocular syphilis. Although most patients had iridocyclitis, other ocular findings included episcleritis, scleritis, vitritis, retinitis, papillitis, panuveitis, cystoid macular edema, and retinal detachment. Most patients had only ocular manifestations of syphilis with no other definitive symptoms. Without the use of specific treponemal serologic tests, the diagnosis of ocular syphilis would have been missed in at least 20% of patients. Furthermore, 80% of patients were negative for antibody to syphilis in the cerebrospinal fluid, and therefore, this test should not be used to determine treatment for ocular syphilis. Currently, the most effective therapy for ocular syphilis is the same as that for neurosyphilis (i.e., high-dose intravenous penicillin G 12 to 24 million units/day for ten to 14 days). Human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients should receive a full 14 days of high-dose intravenous penicillin G plus intramuscular benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units weekly for three weeks because their immune defenses are likely to be impaired.
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PMID:Acquired ocular syphilis: diagnosis and treatment. 159 Jun 33

We describe two human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with syphilitic cerebral gummas. Both patients presented with a seizure disorder associated with an isolated, peripherally located, contrast-enhancing lesion of the brain on CT. Cranial MRI performed on one patient revealed dural thickening in the region of the lesion. A brain biopsy in that patient revealed a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with extensive perivascular inflammation. Clinical manifestations, radiographic resolution of the lesions, and a decline in nontreponemal serologic tests for syphilis followed high-dose aqueous penicillin therapy in both patients. These patients illustrate that (1) cerebral mass lesions occurring with HIV infection may result from syphilis; (2) seizures may be the presenting manifestation of this form of neurosyphilis; and (3) high-dose, intravenous, aqueous penicillin is effective in treating these lesions.
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PMID:Syphilitic cerebral gumma with HIV infection. 162 Mar 34

We here present the clinical cases of two homosexual patients, carriers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), who later presented a syphilis infection and who after receiving the usually recommended treatment, suffered a relapse of the infection six months afterwards, with neurologic involvement in one case. The clinical characteristics are discussed as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic problems which syphilis infection presents in HIV infected patients. Serological results are comparable to those of the general population, although face positives have been occasionally reported as well as some abnormally elevated titers. It is possible that neurosyphilis might be more frequent and of earlier appearance in HIV infected patients. Therefore, it might be necessary to carry out a spinal fluid exam, in these type of patients, in order to rule out the existence of an early and/or asymptomatic neurologic affectation and give the appropriate antibiotic treatment.
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PMID:[Syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus infection: diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Presentation of 2 cases and review of the literature]. 178 May 29

Ocular syphilis is rare in human immunodeficiency virus infected individuals. We think that syphilis should be considered in evaluating such patients presenting with uveitis. Most often, ocular syphilis includes retinitis associated with anterior or posterior uveitis, sometimes with optic neuritis. Concurrent neurosyphilis is frequent and may be more aggressive; it may progress more rapidly and cause more atypical signs than in patients without human immunodeficiency virus infection. This suggests the need for lumbar puncture in the evaluation of coinfected patients. The standard serological tests for syphilis (in blood and cerebrospinal fluid) may be nonreactive in human immunodeficiency virus seropositive patients. It may be because of the alteration of immunologic response of such patients. All coinfected patients with human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis should be treated with high-dose intravenous penicillin G sodium as recommended for neurosyphilis. We describe two human immunodeficiency virus infected patients with ocular syphilis and neurosyphilis.
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PMID:[Syphilitic uveitis and human immunodeficiency virus infection]. 179 9

Fifty-two patients at various stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who had one or several epileptic seizures in the course of that disease were retrospectively studied from 1985 to 1990. Thirty-five percent of these patients were in overt clinical AIDS at the time of the seizure(s). AIDS was revealed by a seizure in 2 cases. Generalized seizures were observed in 71 percent of the patients, and partial seizures in 29 percent. Electroencephalograms showed signs of brain irritation in only 19 percent of the cases. The cause of epileptic seizure(s) could be determined in 36 patients: cerebral toxoplasmosis in 23 cases; progressive multifocal leucoencephalitis in 2 cases; HIV encephalopathy in 3 cases; iatrogenic cause in 4 cases; meningoencephalitis in 3 cases and neurosyphilis in 1 case. No cause other than HIV infection was found in 16 patients. These findings confirm those of previous studies. In about one-third of AIDS patients epileptic seizures are the only clinical manifestation of viral central nervous system infection.
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PMID:[Epilepsy seizures in HIV infection. 52 cases]. 183 61

The prevalence of neurosyphilis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-seropositive (HIV+) persons was assessed during the course of a study of the neurological complications of HIV-1 infection. One hundred sixty-six asymptomatic HIV+ subjects, 63 neurologically symptomatic HIV+ subjects, and six at-risk HIV-1-seronegative (HIV-) control subjects underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis on entry into this longitudinal study. Three (1.8%) of the asymptomatic HIV+ subjects had both a reactive CSF VDRL test and a reactive CSF fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA-ABS) test. Two of these three subjects had a history of appropriately treated early syphilis, and all had a reactive serum rapid plasma reagin test. Of the 63 neurologically symptomatic HIV+ subjects, one patient with dementia had both a reactive CSF VDRL test and a fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption test. Subjective improvement in cognitive skills followed high-dose, intravenous penicillin therapy. Another subject had a penicillin-responsive myelopathy accompanied by a reactive CSF fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption test result, but a nonreactive CSF VDRL. Unsuspected neurosyphilis is relatively common in our population of asymptomatic HIV+ subjects and may be responsible for neurological disease in a significant minority of neurologically symptomatic HIV+ persons. Cerebrospinal fluid examination should be performed in all HIV+ persons with a history of syphilis or serological evidence of syphilis, regardless of prior treatment. Additionally, neurosyphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neurological disease in any HIV+ person.
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PMID:Neurosyphilis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-seropositive individuals. A prospective study. 185 97

Ten years ago it might have been predicted that neurosyphilis would disappear, but this has not happened. It has altered in character so that almost all of the cases seen are meningovascular in type. Even with the acceleration of neurosyphilis that occurs with immunodeficiency it is unlikely that there will be a resurgence of tabes dorsalis, general paralysis of the insane (GPI) or gummatous involvement of the central nervous system. These entities are still reported as single cases in the literature and this is unlikely to change. Diagnostic vigilance is required in respect of meningovascular syphilis which presents in so many different guises, and it seems prudent to advocate that all patients admitted to hospital with a neurological or psychiatric disorder should have syphilis serology checked routinely, though it no longer seems necessary to perform the tests routinely on outpatients. Advances in serological testing have made the diagnosis of syphilis easier to establish, and further advances in the diagnosis of neurosyphilis are likely with the perfection of techniques to culture treponemes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or the detection of surface antigens in the CSF. Although syphilis remains a treatable disease the impact of AIDS has necessitated modifications to the treatment regime. It is now recommended that patients who are HIV-positive and who have early syphilis should be treated as for neurosyphilis, as the former regime for treating primary syphilis may not be adequate.
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PMID:Neurosyphilis yesterday and today. 158 38

Early neurosyphilis, characterized by meningitis, cranial nerve abnormalities, and cerebrospinal accidents, was first described in patients with syphilis who received inadequate courses of arsphenamine. Although more effective, penicillin at conventional doses does not yield treponemacidal levels in the central nervous system and probably does not eradicate the infecting organisms, suggesting that it works synergistically with the host's immune response in preventing neurosyphilis. Neurosyphilis after penicillin therapy was almost unheard of in the United States until it began to appear in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Numerous cases of syphilitic meningitis, cranial nerve abnormalities, and strokes have been reported in the past decade; about one-half of reported patients had received penicillin therapy, often within the previous 6 months. Thus, more intensive diagnostic evaluation, perhaps including routine cerebrospinal fluid analysis, more intensive therapy, for example with at least three doses of benzathine penicillin, and far more rigorous follow-up are indicated in HIV-infected subjects with syphilis. Since the efficacy of conventional therapy is now uncertain, novel approaches to treatment deserve systematic evaluation.
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PMID:Syphilis, neurosyphilis, penicillin, and AIDS. 203 85

The clinical and serologic diagnosis of syphilis in the human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient may be difficult to make. We have recently seen a case of symptomatic neurosyphilis in such a patient presenting with positive serum and CSF syphilis serology. On the basis of this case and similar cases reported in the literature, we conclude that most, if not all, human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with symptomatic neurosyphilis will have an elevated serum and CSF syphilis serology. However, experience with additional cases will be necessary in order to validate this conclusion.
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PMID:Syphilis serology in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with symptomatic neurosyphilis: case report and review. 220 Oct 70


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