Article type: Review Article
Article
title: Neurosyphilis-associated
movement disorder: a literature review
Journal: Annals
of Movement Disorders
Year: 2020
Authors: Jamir Pitton Rissardo, Ana Letícia Fornari
Caprara
E-mail: jamirrissardo@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Syphilis is a well-known “great simulator/mimicker” of
other diseases. Over the last decades, the clinical features of neurosyphilis
have changed with an increasing percentage of atypical manifestations. In this
context, movement disorders caused by neurosyphilis are rare and challenging to
diagnose. This literature review aimed to evaluate the clinical epidemiological
profile, pathological mechanisms, and historical features of
neurosyphilis-associated movement disorders. Relevant reports in six databases were
identified and assessed by two reviewers without language restriction. A total
of 84 reports containing 168 cases who developed a movement disorder related to
neurosyphilis were reported. The mean and the median reported ages were 40.50
(standard deviation [SD], 20.30) and 43 years (2.5–72.5 years). The predominant
sex was male (79.16%). Argyll Robertson pupils were found in 54.90% of the
individuals. The movement disorders reported were tremor, chorea, parkinsonism,
ataxia, myoclonus, dystonia, athetosis, and ballism. In the literature, we have
a large number of reports about movement disorder associated with
neurosyphilis. But, in the majority of them, the individuals had the syphilitic
diagnosis based on unspecific methods, electrodiagnostic studies were not
performed, or penicillin therapy was unavailable. Also, we believe that any
patient presenting with a movement disorder should have a thorough neurological
examination of pupillary reflex, and if any abnormality is present, syphilitic
laboratorial tests should be done.
Keywords: Literature review, movement
disorder, neurosyphilis, parkinsonism, syphilis
Full text available at:
DOI
10.4103/AOMD.AOMD_21_20
Citation
Rissardo
JP, Caprara AL. Neurosyphilis-associated
movement disorder: a literature review. Ann Mov Disord 2020;3:129-44
