Syphilitic perioptic neuritis mimicking papilloedema

Low, Grace S H; Edis, Robert H

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02766.x

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To the Editor: Following the letter by Kitson et al, about a patient with asymptomatic ocular syphilis,1 we describe another unusual presentation of syphilis, with perioptic neuritis that mimicked papilloedema.

Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA.

Correspondence: gracelow79@hotmail.com

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Robert Edis, Adel Ekladious, Barry Walters, Jenny McCloskey, Catherine Franconi, Mei-Ling Tay-Kearney and Sam Kain from the Departments of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Sexual Health and Ophthalmology, Royal Perth Hospital, for their joint contributions.

1. Kitson MT, Yong MK, Hoy JF. Ocular syphilis: are we seeing all there is to see? Med J Aust 2008; 189: 411. <MJA full text>
2. Miller NR, Walsh FB, Newman NJ, et al. Optic neuritis. In: Miller NR, Newman NJ, Biousse V, Kerrison JB, editors. Walsh and Hoyt’s clinical neuro-opthalmology. 6th ed. (Vol 1). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2005: 293-347.
3. Amaratunge BC, Hall AJ. Ocular syphilis in Victoria: four new cases and a brief discussion of the current Victorian experience. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 2008; 36: 192–194.
4. Jin F, Prestage GP, Kippax SC, et al. Epidemic syphilis among homosexually active men in Sydney. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 179–183. <MJA full text>
5. Wright MR, Giele CM, Dance PR, Thompson SC. Fulfilling prophecy? Sexually transmitted infections and HIV in Indigenous people in Western Australia. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 124-128. <MJA full text>

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