Rapidly progressive tabes dorsalis associated with selective IgA deficiency.

Abstract

Tabes dorsalis is uncommon and progresses slowly from infection to clinical manifestation. We report a rare case of rapidly progressive tabes dorsalis associated with selective IgA deficiency (sIgAD). A 28-year-old man was hospitalized with lightning back pain, nausea, and bladder bowel dysfunction. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed high titers of Treponema pallidum antibody, and the serum IgA level was less than 5 mg/dl. Thl-dominant cytokine expression was observed, as is usually seen in neurosyphilis. He was treated with Ceftriaxone and CSF pleocytosis disappeared. We postulate sIgAD influenced the atypical rapid clinical course of tabes dorsalis in this patient.

• Authors: S Nishimura, H Miura, H Yamada, T Ryu, Y Miura
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 40 Issue 9 Pg. 972-5 (Sep 2001) ISSN: 0918-2918 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 11579969 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Disease Progression
• Humans
• IgA Deficiency (blood, complications)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Tabes Dorsalis (blood, complications, immunology, pathology)
• Treponema pallidum (isolation & purification)