INSIGHTS | 25. Curious Case of Neurosyphilis

This strange story leads me to believe neurosyphilis may not exist.

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Most people have heard about syphilis, and some have even been treated for it.

Nowadays, however, it is rare to hear anyone mention neurosyphilis. We are told that since the advent of antibiotics, treatment for syphilis has become so effective that neurosyphilis is no longer seen.

The teaching is that neurosyphilis is a late-stage manifestation of a syphilis infection, and the assertion is that penicillin has effectively eradicated neurosyphilis by treating the bug that causes it.

But, is this true?

To answer this question, we must first:

• Review the medieval history of syphilis

• Understand what neurosyphilis is alleged to be

• most importantly, review how it was diagnosed & treated

Once we’ve understood this, I will make the case that neurosyphilis is not the end-stage of a syphilis infection, but rather the side-effect of a syphilis treatment.