Читать книгу Neurosyphilis. Modern Systematic Diagnosis and Treatment Presented in One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Case Histories онлайн

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However, after discontinuing treatment, there was another convulsion in about a month, and further convulsions occurred once a month. For six months, however, the patient took no treatment, but finally returned to the hospital and was given mercury. This treatment appeared to suspend convulsions again for three months, but at the expiration of six months, the patient had three convulsions in one day, and several more during the following days. After the last of these convulsions, there had been numbness on the right side of the body and considerable headache.

The diagnosis of Paretic Neurosyphilis (“general paresis”) is borne out by the laboratory tests. The W. R. of the blood serum was, to be sure, negative, but the W. R. of the spinal fluid was positive, and there was a “paretic” type of gold reaction, together with other laboratory signs.

The case well demonstrates that group of paretic cases in which convulsions periodically occur, leaving the patient worse after each convulsion. Treatment with salvarsan was instituted, and mercury and iodid was given by mouth. During the period of eight months which have now elapsed since the beginning of this treatment, there have been no convulsions; there has been a great improvement in the memory, the hearing has improved, the W. R. in the spinal fluid is much less intense, the gold sol test has become negative, and the other tests are all less intense.