Korean J Dermatol.  1981 Apr;19(2):193-199.

The Findings of Cerebrospinal Fluids in 338 parients with Syphilis

• Park SB
• Youn JI
• Lim SD

Abstract

We examined cerebrospinal fluids of 338 patients with syphilis who underwent the routine physical examinations or visited out-patient skin clinic at Kyunghee University hospital from January, 1978 to December, 1979. They were diagnosed as syphilis only with serological tests such as VDRL and TPHA tests. The patients did not have any neurologic symptoms associated with syphilis or any other clinical syphilitic syrnptoms. They did not have any history of receiving antisyphilitic treatment. The VDRL test, cell count, protein value, sugar and chloride levels in cerebr-ospinal fluid were tested in these patients. The results were as follows. 1) CSF VDRL reactive rate was 2. 1% among 388 patients with syphilis. 2) CSF celI count was not less than 5/mm in 2 patients (28. 6%) among the 7 patients with syphilis, who showed the positive reactivity of CSF VDRL, and in 13 patients (3. 9%) among the 331 patients with syphilis who did not show the positive reactivity of CSF VDRL. 3) CSF protein level was more thnn 45ml/dl in 3 patients (42. 9%) among the 7 patients with syphilis who showed the positive reactivity of CSF VDRL anct ig, 65 patients (19. 6%) among the 331 patients with syphilis who did not show the positive reactivity of CSF VDRL. 4) Both CSF sugar and chloride levels were within norrnal limits in all of the 7 patients who showed the positive reactivity of CSF VDRL.

MeSH Terms

Cell Count
Cerebrospinal Fluid*
Humans
Neurologic Manifestations
Outpatients
Physical Examination
Serologic Tests
Skin
Syphilis*