Ocular syphilis, which can be treated with antibiotics, is often confused with retinitis pigmentosa, which cannot be treated. This was reported by Speech.
Five cases of ocular syphilis in women were reported in the US state of Michigan in 2023. They were all infected by the same man. And they all had different symptoms: from eye inflammation to cranial nerve palsy.
Syphilis is caused by a bacterium Treponema pallidum. Although ocular syphilis occurs in only 1% of all cases of infection, it is difficult to detect due to the absence of characteristic symptoms. If left untreated, the disease can progress over many years and cause further damage to many organ systems.
Ocular syphilis is often confused with retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary disease. Unlike syphilis, which can be treated with a course of antibiotics, there is no cure for retinitis pigmentosa and patients must accept worsening vision. In parallel, other complications of syphilis may develop, including brain damage. That’s why doctors should not hesitate to test patients for syphilis and explain to them why this is necessary, The Conversation notes.
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