ArticleBMC neurology2025
Unmasking the hidden culprit: neurosyphilis mimicking parkinsonism in a middle-aged male.
Article in BMC neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- 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 · 2026Pooled it
- Neurosyphilis and Parkinsonism: Overlapping Pathophysiology and Emerging Therapeutic Insights.Current neurovascular research · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGeneral paresis, a tertiary manifestation of neurosyphilis affecting the brain, is characterized by mental and behavioral disorders, such as attention disorder, cognitive impairment, and personality changes. But parkinsonism is rarely reported in patients with neurosyphilis, let alone general paresis. This study reports a case suffering from both general paresis and parkinsonism. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old man was initially misdiagnosed with "alcohol-related psychiatric and behavioral disorders" due to the onset of psychiatric symptoms following alcohol abstinence. The excessive administration of psychotropic medications, attributed to their limited efficacy, was identified as the primary cause of his subsequent extrapyramidal symptoms, including tremor and bradykinesia. However, treatment with levodopa yielded only marginal effectiveness. Following a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, which encompassed brain magnetic resonance imaging, syphilis screening, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, neurosyphilis was ultimately identified as the underlying etiology. Subsequent treatment with aqueous penicillin resulted in a marked improvement in his symptoms.
conclusionThis case illustrates a rare manifestation of neurosyphilis, specifically parkinsonism. The diagnostic process was complicated by several confounding factors. As neurosyphilis is known as the "great imitator," capable of mimicking various neuropsychiatric disorders, routine syphilis screening is imperative for patients presenting with mental disorders and parkinsonian symptoms to facilitate early diagnosis and enhance prognosis.
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