Syphilitic optic nerve atrophy treated with penicillin; observations two to six years after treatment.

Abstract

PENICILLIN has been employed in the treatment of syphilis for a number of years, but there is still little information as to its efficacy in the treatment of primary optic nerve atrophy caused by this infection. Although fever therapy is known to be of considerable value in this condition, it is often associated with severe untoward reactions, especially in aged or infirm patients. The arsenicals and heavy metals are not very effective agents in the treatment of optic nerve atrophy, and it is important to assess the value of penicillin in this condition. In this paper, data are presented in regard to the use of penicillin in the treatment of progressive primary atrophy of the optic nerve due to syphilis. There are relatively few reports on the treatment of syphilitic optic nerve atrophy with penicillin alone or in combination with fever. The largest number of cases has been reported by