A rare infection of the brain or spinal cord that occurs when syphilis goes untreated for many years.

Infection of the brain or spinal cord by Treponema pallidum. It occurs many years following the original infection which remained untreated. Signs and symptoms include abnormal gait, blindness, depression, paralysis, seizures and dementia.

Infections of the central nervous system caused by TREPONEMA PALLIDUM which present with a variety of clinical syndromes. The initial phase of infection usually causes a mild or asymptomatic meningeal reaction. The meningovascular form may present acutely as BRAIN INFARCTION. The infection may also remain subclinical for several years. Late syndromes include general paresis; TABES DORSALIS; meningeal syphilis; syphilitic OPTIC ATROPHY; and spinal syphilis. General paresis is characterized by progressive DEMENTIA; DYSARTHRIA; TREMOR; MYOCLONUS; SEIZURES; and Argyll-Robertson pupils. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp722-8)

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum, with human beings as the only host. Syphilitic infection of the nervous system results in the most chronic, insidious meningeal inflammatory process known.