Twenty-three cases of neurosyphilis who were admitted to St. Mary´s hospital, Catholic medical College, from Jan. 1971 to April 1976 were observed and discussed in the view of clinical characteristics. Then the following results and suggestions were obtained:
1) The incidence of neurosyphilis was 23 cases (0.041%) of total 43,500 inpatient (obstetric patients were excluded) and the average age was 40 Years old and the sex ratio of the male to the female was 2 1.
2) Classifications : Asymptomatic 6
Meningovascular 5General paresis 12
Tabes dorsalis 2
Spinal cord syphilis 0
3) Symptoms : memory impairment (57%), Psychotic manifestation (52%), weaknaes of lower extrimites(52%), headache (52%), disturbed speech(32 %), generalized weakness(18%), dizziness(15%) Insomnia (15%) etc.
4) Signs: Abnormality of DTR(52%), alternation of muscle tone (43%), ataxia(35%), tremor(26%) etc.
5) STS: VDRL (Serum) : 18 patients were reactive (79%) and 5 were, non-reactive.
RPCF (CSF) : 21 patients were reactive (91%) and 2 were non-reactive.
6) Cell counts (WBC) and total protein of CSF: Asymptomatic- 9/cu mm. 70 mg/dl
Meningovascular- 23 s 52 s
Tabes dorsalis- 51 s 44
General paresis- 29 a 69 e
Average 25 a 61 s
7) STS of spouses were checked in 7 cases and 5 of them revealed reactive (71x).
8) Four out of 14 cases showed abnormal tracing in electroencephalogram.
9) It is recommended that those of patients admitted to psychiatric department as well as other departments should be taken STS as a routine examination.
10) No evidence of increase in incidence was noted comparative to one of past 5 years (1965-1970) and neurosyphilis among Koreans have scantiness of symptoms and signs (or atypical feature) compared to prepenicilline era andso many physician may be confused with this atypical or unfamiliar form of neurosyphilis.
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