Neurosyphilis can occasionally cause a variety of movement disorders. This is one possible explanation for Adolph Hitler's Parkinson's disease.
Neurosyphilis can cause:
(1) meningitis
(2) meningoencephalitis
(3) meningovasculitis
(4) general paresis
(5) tabes dorsalis
Movement disorders reported for neurosyphilis:
(1) Parkinson’s disease (related to meningoencephalitis)
(2) sensory ataxia
(3) laryngeal dystonia
(4) corticobasal syndrome
When to consider neurosyphilis in a patient with a movement disorder:
(1) The patient is HIV-positive.
(2) The patient has risk factors for or history of a sexually-transmitted disease.
(3) The features of the movement disorder are atypical (early onset, unexpected features, etc).
(4) Alternative explanations are lacking.
(5) The patient has features of congenital syphilis.
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Specialty: Infectious Diseases
ICD-10: ,
