Recently we identified the cause of paralysis of a young male who was sick for more than 3 months.

What was the problem?

He was diagnosed with Neurosyphilis and an HIV infection (to find out more about AIDS and HIV, click here).

What is Neurosyphilis?

Neurosyphilis is a disease of the coverings of the brain, the brain itself, or the spinal cord. It can occur in people with syphilis, especially if they are left untreated.

Depending on the form of neurosyphilis, symptoms may include any of the following:

• Abnormal walk (gait), or unable to walk.
• Numbness in the toes, feet, or legs.
• Problems with thinking, such as confusion or poor concentration.
• Mental problems, such as depression or irritability
• Headache, seizures, or stiff neck
• Loss of bladder control
• Tremors, or weakness
• Visual problems, even blindness

What are the symptoms of HIV?

Symptoms include various types of mental deterioration, vision loss, speech disturbances, ataxia (inability to coordinate movements), paralysis, brain lesions, and, ultimately, coma. Some individuals may also have compromised memory and cognition, and seizures may occur.

These two complicated viruses combined can make for a complicated and confusing diagnoses, most rural health facilities miss this syphilis that affects the brain, luckily, we were able to use the knowledge taught at Lifeline Malawi to refer the patient to a treatment centre in Salima where they have a treatment plan for patients like this.

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