Biomaterial Database

Otosyphilis: a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. 1992

L L Gleich, and C J Linstrom, and C P Kimmelman

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary-New York Medical College, NY 10003.

Traditional treatment of otosyphilis with penicillin and corticosteroids has achieved hearing improvement; however, selecting which patients with a positive fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test will benefit from treatment remains a problem. In order to study this problem, 18 patients with cochleovestibular dysfunction of unknown etiology and positive syphilis serology were treated with intravenous penicillin and corticosteroids. In addition, lumbar puncture and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing were performed on all patients. Hearing improved in 5 (31%) of 16 patients, tinnitus decreased in 11 (85%) of 13, and vertigo improved in 6 (86%) of 7. Factors associated with hearing improvement were hearing loss present less than 5 years, fluctuating hearing, and age less than 60. Improvement was unrelated to the severity of the loss or previous therapy. All patients with cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities, including two patients with HIV disease, had subjective improvements. A diagnostic and treatment protocol is presented.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009519	New York City	City located at the mouth of the Hudson River, in New York State.
D010400	Penicillin G	A penicillin derivative commonly used in the form of its sodium or potassium salts in the treatment of a variety of infections. It is effective against most gram-positive bacteria and against gram-negative cocci. It has also been used as an experimental convulsant because of its actions on GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID mediated synaptic transmission.	Benzylpenicillin,Benpen,Benzylpenicillin Potassium,Coliriocilina,Crystapen,Or-pen,Parcillin,Pekamin,Pengesod,Penibiot,Penicilina G Llorente,Penicillin G Jenapharm,Penicillin G Potassium,Penicillin G Sodium,Penicillin Grünenthal,Penilevel,Peniroger,Pfizerpen,Sodiopen,Sodipen,Sodium Benzylpenicillin,Sodium Penicillin,Unicilina,Ursopen,Van-Pen-G
D010713	Phosphatidylcholines	Derivatives of PHOSPHATIDIC ACIDS in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to a CHOLINE moiety.	Choline Phosphoglycerides,Choline Glycerophospholipids,Phosphatidyl Choline,Phosphatidyl Cholines,Phosphatidylcholine,Choline, Phosphatidyl,Cholines, Phosphatidyl,Glycerophospholipids, Choline,Phosphoglycerides, Choline
D011241	Prednisone	A synthetic anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid derived from CORTISONE. It is biologically inert and converted to PREDNISOLONE in the liver.	Dehydrocortisone,delta-Cortisone,Apo-Prednisone,Cortan,Cortancyl,Cutason,Dacortin,Decortin,Decortisyl,Deltasone,Encorton,Encortone,Enkortolon,Kortancyl,Liquid Pred,Meticorten,Orasone,Panafcort,Panasol,Predni Tablinen,Prednidib,Predniment,Prednison Acsis,Prednison Galen,Prednison Hexal,Pronisone,Rectodelt,Sone,Sterapred,Ultracorten,Winpred,Acsis, Prednison
D011339	Probenecid	The prototypical uricosuric agent. It inhibits the renal excretion of organic anions and reduces tubular reabsorption of urate. Probenecid has also been used to treat patients with renal impairment, and, because it reduces the renal tubular excretion of other drugs, has been used as an adjunct to antibacterial therapy.	Benecid,Benemid,Benuryl,Pro-Cid,Probecid,Probenecid Weimer
D002308	Cardiolipins	Acidic phospholipids composed of two molecules of phosphatidic acid covalently linked to a molecule of glycerol. They occur primarily in mitochondrial inner membranes and in bacterial plasma membranes. They are the main antigenic components of the Wassermann-type antigen that is used in nontreponemal SYPHILIS SERODIAGNOSIS.	Cardiolipin,Diphosphatidylglycerol,Diphosphatidylglycerols
D002555	Cerebrospinal Fluid	A watery fluid that is continuously produced in the CHOROID PLEXUS and circulates around the surface of the BRAIN; SPINAL CORD; and in the CEREBRAL VENTRICLES.	Cerebro Spinal Fluid,Cerebro Spinal Fluids,Cerebrospinal Fluids,Fluid, Cerebro Spinal,Fluid, Cerebrospinal,Fluids, Cerebro Spinal,Fluids, Cerebrospinal,Spinal Fluid, Cerebro,Spinal Fluids, Cerebro
D002784	Cholesterol	The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.	Epicholesterol