neurosyphilis

(noor″ō-sif′(ĭ-)lĭs)

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[neuro- + syphilis]
Infection of the central nervous system with Treponema pallidum, the spirochete that causes syphilis. It may produce acute or chronic meningitis, dementia, damage to the posterior columns, gummatous lesions, or myelopathy. The disease is diagnosed most often when cerebrospinal fluid tests positive for syphilis on standard serological testing with Venereal Disease Research Laboratories. In patients with AIDS, neurosyphilis is more common and more difficult to eradicate than in those with intact immunity.

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