Neurosyphilis: The Damaging Effects of Untreated Syphilis on the Brain
Neurosyphilis is a serious condition that occurs during the tertiary stage of syphilis when the infection reaches the brain and the entire nervous system, including the spinal cord. If left untreated for approximately 20 years, up to 40% of individuals affected by syphilis may develop neurosyphilis. The impact of neurosyphilis is severe, leading to a range of debilitating symptoms such as dementia, abnormal gait, blindness, psychosis, seizures, depression, and atrophy.
Treatment for neurosyphilis involves the use of antibiotics, although the damage caused by the active infection can be permanent, leaving sufferers with long-term impairments.
Cardiovascular Syphilis: A Life-Threatening Complication
When the bacterium responsible for syphilis invades the cardiovascular system, it can give rise to severe and potentially fatal consequences. Cardiovascular syphilis, considered the most dangerous symptom of this sexually transmitted infection (STI), manifests as a series of complications that jeopardize the individual’s life. These include the narrowing of blood vessels, aneurysms, heart attacks, and valve damage, ultimately leading to heart failure.
Despite being treatable with antibiotics at this stage, cardiovascular syphilis inflicts irreversible harm on the body. It typically arises after the disease has progressed untreated for several years, similar to the development of neurosyphilis.