Changes in vessel wall magnetic resonance contrast-enhancement in a patient with multiple cerebral infarction due to meningovascular neurosyphilis

Abstract

A 46-year-old man with a history of generalized skin rash following physical contact with possible syphilis infection developed right upper and lower extremity ataxia and right lower extremity paresis. Brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed multiple areas of acute cerebral infarction mainly within the territories of the right superior cerebellar artery (SCA) and left anterior cerebral artery. The patient was diagnosed with meningovascular neurosyphilis based on positive results on syphilis testing of the serum and cerebrospinal fluid. MR angiography revealed decreased signal intensity in the proximal segment of the right SCA, and gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional T1-weighted MR images showed an enhancement of the vessel wall in this segment of the artery. Signal intensity in the right SCA showed partial improvement following the completion of intravenous penicillin treatment, and contrast enhancement of the vessel wall disappeared simultaneously with clinical improvement. Alterations in cerebral vessel walls on contrast-enhanced MR imaging in cases of meningovascular neurosyphilis may reflect vascular inflammatory activity.