Can dementia be caused by syphilis?

Dementia is one of the manifestations of late syphilis and it is characterized by cognitive deterioration and behaviour disturbances.

What kind of dementia does syphilis cause?

But the most frequent cause of syphilitic dementia is paretic neurosyphilis (or dementia paralytica, or general paralysis of the insane or general paresis). Paretic neurosyphilis occurs in about 5% of patients untreated for early syphilis, usually from 10 to 25 years after the infection.

Can syphilis dementia be cured?

The secondary stage of syphilis is curable with medical treatment. It’s important to get treatment to prevent the disease progressing to the tertiary stage, which may not be curable. It can cause damage to your organs, as well as dementia, paralysis, or even death.

Does syphilis cause Lewy body dementia?

BACKGROUND: Common conditions presenting with dementia and myoclonus include Creutzfeld Jakob disease, Cortical Basal Syndrome, Lewy Body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Hashimoto’s encephalitis. Syphilis and HIV-1 infection may also cause dementia; however, but not typically dementia with myoclonus.

How long does it take syphilis to cause dementia?

3 It usually develops 10 to 25 years after infection4 but can be seen earlier. Untreated, as it was before the availability of penicillin, most individuals die within 5 years after onset of symptoms.

Can syphilis cause dementia later in life?

The brain and the heart are the two main targets of tertiary syphilis. Brain infection can lead to meningitis (a serious inflammation of the brain), dementia (which can be mistaken for early senility or Alzheimer’s disease) or problems with balance, walking and bladder control.

What does syphilis do to the brain?

Individuals with meningeal syphilis can have headache, stiff neck, nausea, and vomiting. Sometimes there can also be loss of vision or hearing. Meningovascular syphilis causes the same symptoms as meningeal syphilis but affected individuals also have strokes.

Does syphilis affect memory?

In the brain, third stage syphilis can lead to memory problems, mood changes and dementia, resulting in the need for nursing home care. Third stage syphilis can even cause death by affecting the vital organs.

Is neurosyphilis dementia reversible?

Conclusions: Neurosyphilis is a very uncommon disease nowadays. However, this disease should be borne in mind when approaching the initial work-up of a new-onset dementia, because it is a treatable condition which requires early aggressive antibiotic therapy.

Can syphilis cause cognitive issues?

Cognitive decline is one of the manifestations of late syphilis. However, mild cognitive impairment could be observed in early stages of neurosyphilis [2].