Erb′s paraplegia with primary optic atrophy: Unusual presentation of neurosyphilis: Case report and review of literature

Abstract

Symptomatic neurosyphilis (NS) can have varied syndromic presentations: Meningitis, meningovascular and parenchymatous involvement. Non-tabetic syphilis affecting the spinal cord is rare and only sporadic case reports have been published. The variant of meningomyelitis known as Erb′s paraplegia refers to patients of spinal syphilis with very slow progression over many years and predominantly motor signs. Primary optic atrophy occurs twice as frequently in tabes dorsalis as in other types of NS. We describe here a case of a 32-year-old truck driver who presented with Erb′s paraplegia with primary optic atrophy. This clinical overlap in NS is extremely rare and to our knowledge is the first case report of its type.

Keywords

• Erb′s paraplegia
• neurosyphilis
• optic atrophy