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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2022; 32(02): 278-284
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1744523
Case Report

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Otosyphilis: A Rare Manifestation of Neurosyphilis

Rajsekar Chandrasekharan 
1   Department of Radiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, Kerala
,
Chinmay Kulkarni
1   Department of Radiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, Kerala
,
Sreekumar Karumathil Pullara
1   Department of Radiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, Kerala
,
Srikanth Moorthy 
1   Department of Radiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, Kerala
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Abstract

We report magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a case with otosyphilis, which is a rare manifestation of neurosyphilis. A 50-year-old male presented with progressive hearing loss on the left side and recent-onset palsy of the left 7th and 12th cranial nerves. Computed tomography imaging showed destructive bone lesions involving the petrous temporal bone, middle ear, and mastoid region with a pathognomonic pattern of bone destruction depicted in the volume rendering technique images. MRI showed features of destructive bone lesions (gummatous lesion), meningoneuritis, and labyrinthitis. Pathological examination and treponemal antibody absorption test favored the diagnosis. Otosyphilis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in an adult patient with destructive lesions of the petrous temporal bone. To the best of our knowledge, MRI in otosyphilis has not been reported.

Keywords

gummatous lesions - labyrinthitis - meningoneuritis - neurosyphilis - otosyphilis


Publication History

Article published online:
30 June 2022

© 2022. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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