Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34908989›Full record

ArticleClinical neuropsychiatry2020

Neurosyphilis Mimicking Autoimmune Encephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Ingrid M Daey Ouwens, Aernoud T L Fiolet, Roland D Thijs, Peter J Koehler, Willem M A Verhoeven

Open access · greenAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical neuropsychiatry, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The spectrum of movement disorders in neurosyphilis: A systematic review.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Mimickers of autoimmune encephalitis: a literature review.The Journal of international medical research · 2024
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Ingrid M Daey OuwensStichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland, PO Box 540, 2130 AM Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. idaeyouwens@sein.nl.
Aernoud T L FioletStichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland, PO Box 540, 2130 AM Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. idaeyouwens@sein.nl.
Roland D ThijsStichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland, PO Box 540, 2130 AM Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. idaeyouwens@sein.nl.
Peter J KoehlerDepartment of Neurology, Zuyderland Ziekenhuis, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands. pkoehler@neurohistory.nl.
Willem M A VerhoevenErasmus Medical Centre, Department of psychiatry, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland · NLErasmus MC · NLZuyderland Medisch Centrum · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neurosyphilis may imitate a wide range of neurological and psychiatric diseases, including autoimmune encephalitis. To avoid further cognitive decline and morbidity, early recognition and adequate treatment are of particular importance in both neurosyphilis and autoimmune encephalitis. In case of a strong clinical suspicion of a diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis, guidelines recommend initiating immunotherapy even in the absence of immunological confirmation. Here, a case of neurosyphilis is reported in which the potential overlap in clinical presentation of autoimmune encephalitis and parenchymatous neurosyphilis is discussed. The here reported data suggest that, in cases presenting with new onset focal epilepsy, slowing of electroencephalographic activity over the temporal regions and magnetic resonance imaging suggestive of swelling of the amygdala, neurosyphilis should be excluded prior to initiation of immunotherapy for suspected autoimmune encephalitis.

Indexed as

autoimmune encephalitisepilepsyneurosyphilis

Identifiers

PMID34908989
PMCPMC8650208
OpenAlexW3039480680

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.