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Case Reports: Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury
Neurosyphilis mimicking giant cell arteritis both clinically and microscopically
  1. Niels van Ruitenbeek1,
  2. Marjo van Kasteren1 and
  3. Annet Bouma-de Krijger2
  1. 1Internal Medicine, Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis, Tilburg, The Netherlands
  2. 2Internal Medicine, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Dr Annet Bouma-de Krijger; A.Bouma-dekrijger@cwz.nl

Abstract

Temporal arteritis is usually caused by giant cell arteritis (GCA). However, inflammation of the temporal artery can also occur secondary to autoimmune diseases or infections.

We present a remarkable case of a man in his 70s with biopsy proven temporal arteritis, who was later diagnosed with meningovascular neurosyphilis. The presentation of an acute onset monocular vision loss with inflammation of the temporal artery on biopsy appeared a GCA, misleading the physicians, as it turned out to be a manifestation of neurosyphilis.

  • Syphilis
  • Pathology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Infection (neurology)
  • Infectious diseases

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-247642

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors NvR: design and conceptualisation of the case report, involved in clinical care and drafting of manuscript. MvK: design and conceptualisation of the case report, involved in clinical care and revision of manuscript for intellectual content. AB-dK: design and conceptualisation of the case report, involved in clinical care and revision of manuscript for intellectual content.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.