Concurrent tuberculous transverse myelitis and asymptomatic neurosyphilis: A case report

Tuberculous myelitis is a rare manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) that is usually caused by hematogenous spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Neurosyphilis is a neurological disease that occurs when Treponema pallidum invades the brain or the spinal cord. Individually, these two diseases involving the spinal cord are rare and cases of concurrent tuberculous transverse myelitis and asymptomatic neurosyphilis have seldom been reported.

A 56-year-old man presented with numbness and pain of both lower limbs for 2 wk and dysuria for 1 wk. Syphilis serology and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis supported the diagnosis of neurosyphilis and the patient was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone at first, but symptoms still progressed. Then, magnetic resonance images revealed multiple lesions along the cervicothoracic junction, and chest computed tomography showed a typical TB lesion. MTB DNA was detected in the CSF sample by metagenomic next-generation sequencing. Eventually the patient was diagnosed with tuberculous myelitis combined with asymptomatic neurosyphilis. Subsequently, quadruple anti-TB drug standardized therapy was empirically used and his neurological symptoms improved gradually.

Patients can have coinfection with tuberculous transverse myelitis and asymptomatic neurosyphilis. Patients with neurosyphilis should be examined for other pathogens.