Demographics and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Neurosyphilis in Rhode Island

The incidence of syphilis has been steadily rising throughout the United States over the past decade, including Rhode Island. Neurosyphilis is a manifestation of syphilis involving the central nervous system and can present with a multitude of symptoms. We evaluated all cases of syphilis at a single healthcare system in Rhode Island over a 10.5-year period and identified 33 cases of neurosyphilis (24 confirmed and 9 diagnosed clinically). Neurosyphilis was more common in females, older patients, White/Caucasian patients, and non-Latino patients. Patients with neurosyphilis confirmed by cerebral spinal fluid analysis were more likely to have a higher RPR than patients who did not have neurosyphilis. Six patients with HIV were diagnosed with neurosyphilis and were similar to those with HIV and syphilis except for lower rates of drug use. Given increasing trends, clinicians should be familiar with the diagnosis and management of neurosyphilis.