Laura A S Quilter1, Alex de Voux2, Rachel M Amiya3, Erin Davies3, Robin R Hennessy2,4, Roxanne P Kerani5, Robbie Madera6, James Matthias2,7, Victoria M Pearson7, Jaime K Walters8, Craig Wilson7, Sarah Kidd2, Elizabeth Torrone2. 1. Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 2. Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 3. Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, Washington, USA. 4. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, USA. 5. Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. 6. Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 7. Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. 8. Multnomah County Health Department, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Neurosyphilis, a complication of syphilis, can occur at any stage of infection. Measuring the prevalence of neurosyphilis is challenging, and there are limited data on the prevalence of neurologic or ocular symptoms among patients with syphilis. We sought to describe the prevalence of neurologic and/or ocular symptoms among early syphilis (ES) cases and the clinical management of symptomatic cases enrolled in the STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) Neuro/Ocular Syphilis Surveillance project. METHODS: Persons diagnosed with ES were selected for interviews based on current health department protocols in 5 participating SSuN jurisdictions from November 2016 through October 2017. All interviewed ES cases were screened for self-reported neurologic and/or ocular symptoms. Additional clinical information on diagnostic testing and treatment for cases concerning for neurosyphilis/ocular syphilis was obtained from providers. RESULTS: Among 9123 patients with ES who were interviewed, 151 (1.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4%-1.9%) reported ≥ 1 neurologic or ocular symptom. Of the 53 (35%) who underwent lumbar puncture, 22 (42%) had documented abnormal cerebrospinal fluid, of which 21 (95%) were treated for neurosyphilis/ocular syphilis. Among the remaining 98 symptomatic patients with no documented lumbar puncture (65%), 12 (12%) were treated for and/or clinically diagnosed with neurosyphilis/ocular syphilis. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a low prevalence of self-reported neurologic and/or ocular symptoms in interviewed ES cases. Approximately one-third of ES cases who self-reported symptoms underwent further recommended diagnostic evaluation. Understanding barriers to appropriate clinical evaluation is important to ensuring appropriate management of patients with possible neurologic and/or ocular manifestations of syphilis. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2020.
BACKGROUND:Neurosyphilis, a complication of syphilis, can occur at any stage of infection. Measuring the prevalence of neurosyphilis is challenging, and there are limited data on the prevalence of neurologic or ocular symptoms among patients with syphilis. We sought to describe the prevalence of neurologic and/or ocular symptoms among early syphilis (ES) cases and the clinical management of symptomatic cases enrolled in the STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) Neuro/Ocular Syphilis Surveillance project. METHODS:Persons diagnosed with ES were selected for interviews based on current health department protocols in 5 participating SSuN jurisdictions from November 2016 through October 2017. All interviewed ES cases were screened for self-reported neurologic and/or ocular symptoms. Additional clinical information on diagnostic testing and treatment for cases concerning for neurosyphilis/ocular syphilis was obtained from providers. RESULTS: Among 9123 patients with ES who were interviewed, 151 (1.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4%-1.9%) reported ≥ 1 neurologic or ocular symptom. Of the 53 (35%) who underwent lumbar puncture, 22 (42%) had documented abnormal cerebrospinal fluid, of which 21 (95%) were treated for neurosyphilis/ocular syphilis. Among the remaining 98 symptomatic patients with no documented lumbar puncture (65%), 12 (12%) were treated for and/or clinically diagnosed with neurosyphilis/ocular syphilis. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a low prevalence of self-reported neurologic and/or ocular symptoms in interviewed ES cases. Approximately one-third of ES cases who self-reported symptoms underwent further recommended diagnostic evaluation. Understanding barriers to appropriate clinical evaluation is important to ensuring appropriate management of patients with possible neurologic and/or ocular manifestations of syphilis. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2020.
Entities:
Keywords:
complicated syphilis; early syphilis; neurosyphilis; ocular syphilis; prevalence
Authors: David A Jackson; Robert McDonald; Laura A S Quilter; Hillard Weinstock; Elizabeth A Torrone Journal: Sex Transm Dis Date: 2022-07-13 Impact factor: 3.868