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Cerebral syphilitic gumma: a case report and review of the literature

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Abstract

A 45-year-old male presented with subacute onset of a right-sided hemiparesis, right homonymous hemianopsia, and slurred speech. The brain imaging revealed two separate intraparenchymal enhancing lesions. The cerebrospinal fluid rapid plasma reagin and venereal disease research laboratory test were positive and consistent with syphilitic gumma, and the patient responded dramatically to penicillin G. Despite, currently low incidence of syphilis; CNS gummas should be in the differential of mass lesions as they are eminently treatable.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants from NIH 3P30CA023100-25S8 to S. Kesari, and grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30970998) and from the Chongqing key Project of Science and Technologies (CSTC2010GGC502) to Jing-cheng Li.

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Correspondence to Santosh Kesari.

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J. Li and A. Mahta are co-first authors

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Li, Jc., Mahta, A., Kim, R.Y. et al. Cerebral syphilitic gumma: a case report and review of the literature. Neurol Sci 33, 1179–1181 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0878-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0878-8

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