Diagnosis of Syphilitic Bilateral Papillitis Mimicking Papilloedema

• DOI: 10.3201/eid2601.191122
• Publication Date: 2019-12-09T15:56:24Z
• Authors: Alicia Gonzalez-M...; Sonia Quintas; Diego Celdrán Viv...; José Cebrián; José Vivancos
• Keywords: Male; syphilis; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Diagnosis, Differential; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Neurosyphilis; Research Letter; Humans; Treponema pallidum; bacteria; sexually transmitted infections; bilateral visual loss; eye impairment; papillitis; R; optic disc swelling; Middle Aged; peripapillary retinitis; 3. Good health; papilloedema; Medicine; idiopathic intracranial hypertension; bilateral vision loss; Papilledema

Syphilis produces myriad nonspecific signs and symptoms. For example, optic disk swelling might be seen in patients with syphilis as a result of cranial hypertension (papilloedema), inflammatory optic neuritis with papillitis, or optic perineuritis. We report a case involving differential diagnosis of syphilitic bilateral papillitis mimicking papilloedema.