Bilateral optic disc swelling resulting from lymphocytic meningitis and posterior uveitis secondary to syphilis.
Affiliation
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS TrustPublication date
2021-05-19Subject
Ophthalmology
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is being diagnosed more often in the UK due to the rise in obesity. In fact, patients who present with bilateral optic disc swelling are habitually put on the papilloedema pathway, often without consideration of other diagnoses. We report the case of a middle-aged woman diagnosed with papilloedema and managed as IIH, until, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed evidence of lymphocytic meningitis secondary to syphilis. The patient was treated successfully with intravenous antibiotics. Syphilis is the great masquerader and should be a diagnosis to consider in patients who have CSF findings incongruent with their clinical presentation.Citation
James S, Thozhuthumparambil KP. Bilateral optic disc swelling resulting from lymphocytic meningitis and posterior uveitis secondary to syphilis. BMJ Case Rep. 2021 May 19;14(5):e239813.Type
ArticleOther
PMID
34011659Journal
BMJ Case ReportsPublisher
BMJ Publishing Groupae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1136/bcr-2020-239813