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Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report
The syndrome of limbic encephalitis is a severe clinical condition with heterogenous aetiopathogenesis. A common pathogen causing the infectious syndrome of limbic encephalitis is herpes simplex virus (HSV), but rare cases caused by Treponema pallidum have also been reported. We present the case of...
Autores principales: | , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
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MDPI
2023
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10046340/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36979313 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030503 |
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author | Marešová, Eliška Šutovský, Stanislav Štefucová, Hana Koščálová, Alena Sabaka, Peter |
author_facet | Marešová, Eliška Šutovský, Stanislav Štefucová, Hana Koščálová, Alena Sabaka, Peter |
author_sort | Marešová, Eliška |
collection | PubMed |
description | The syndrome of limbic encephalitis is a severe clinical condition with heterogenous aetiopathogenesis. A common pathogen causing the infectious syndrome of limbic encephalitis is herpes simplex virus (HSV), but rare cases caused by Treponema pallidum have also been reported. We present the case of a 46-year-old man who presented with sudden onset of headaches, nausea, vomiting, and short-term loss of consciousness with clonic convulsions and subsequent disorientation and aphasia. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis and magnetic resonance of the brain revealed bilateral temporal lesions. Clinical, radiologic, and biochemical examinations of CSF suggested encephalitis caused by HSV. However, the positivity of CXCL-13 chemokine in the CSF by a rapid point-of-care assay suggested active spirochetal infection and led to further serologic investigation. The definitive diagnosis of neuro-syphilis was concluded by positive intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins against Treponema pallidum. Penicillin therapy led to a rapid improvement, and the patient was discharged home after three weeks. Due to memory problems and irritability, after eighteen months, he came for a follow-up neurological and psychological examination. The psychological examination revealed a significant deficit in executive functions and behavioural changes. Neurosyphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of limbic encephalitis with lymphocytic pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid, and CXCL-13 may help to achieve diagnosis. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-10046340 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2023 |
publisher | MDPI |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-100463402023-03-29 Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report Marešová, Eliška Šutovský, Stanislav Štefucová, Hana Koščálová, Alena Sabaka, Peter Brain Sci Case Report The syndrome of limbic encephalitis is a severe clinical condition with heterogenous aetiopathogenesis. A common pathogen causing the infectious syndrome of limbic encephalitis is herpes simplex virus (HSV), but rare cases caused by Treponema pallidum have also been reported. We present the case of a 46-year-old man who presented with sudden onset of headaches, nausea, vomiting, and short-term loss of consciousness with clonic convulsions and subsequent disorientation and aphasia. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis and magnetic resonance of the brain revealed bilateral temporal lesions. Clinical, radiologic, and biochemical examinations of CSF suggested encephalitis caused by HSV. However, the positivity of CXCL-13 chemokine in the CSF by a rapid point-of-care assay suggested active spirochetal infection and led to further serologic investigation. The definitive diagnosis of neuro-syphilis was concluded by positive intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins against Treponema pallidum. Penicillin therapy led to a rapid improvement, and the patient was discharged home after three weeks. Due to memory problems and irritability, after eighteen months, he came for a follow-up neurological and psychological examination. The psychological examination revealed a significant deficit in executive functions and behavioural changes. Neurosyphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of limbic encephalitis with lymphocytic pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid, and CXCL-13 may help to achieve diagnosis. MDPI 2023-03-16 /pmc/articles/PMC10046340/ /pubmed/36979313 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030503 Text en © 2023 by the authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
spellingShingle | Case Report Marešová, Eliška Šutovský, Stanislav Štefucová, Hana Koščálová, Alena Sabaka, Peter Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report |
title | Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report |
title_full | Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report |
title_fullStr | Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report |
title_full_unstemmed | Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report |
title_short | Neurosyphilis Presenting as Syndrome of Limbic Encephalitis Mimicking Herpes Simplex Virus Neuro-Infection Diagnosed Using CXCL13 Point-of-Care Assay—Case Report |
title_sort | neurosyphilis presenting as syndrome of limbic encephalitis mimicking herpes simplex virus neuro-infection diagnosed using cxcl13 point-of-care assay—case report |
topic | Case Report |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10046340/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36979313 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030503 |
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