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Syphilitic aseptic meningitis   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Meningitis - syphilitic

Definition:

Syphilitic aseptic meningitis is a disorder characterized by changes in mental status and nerve functions that may occur in untreated syphilis infections.

Causes and Risks

Syphilitic aseptic meningitis is a form of meningovascular neurosyphilis, which is a progressive life-threatening complication of syphilis infection.

The disorder resembles meningitis from other causes. There is inflammation of the meninges (the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord). This may cause headaches, cognitive changes, or decrease in nerve functions such as vision, movement, or sensation. Vascular (blood vessel) symptoms, such as stroke secondary to syphilis, commonly accompany or follow syphilitic aseptic meningitis.

Risks of syphylitic aseptic meningitis include previous syphilis infection, or previous infection with other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea (which may hide symptoms of syphilis infection). Syphilis infections are transmitted primarily through sexual contact with an infected lesion, but they may be transmitted by nonsexual contact.

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