MRI IN PATIENTS WITH GENERAL PARESIS

Few cases of MRI in neurosyphilis have been reported, We examined the value of MRI in patients with general paresis; MRI was performed on fo ur HIV-negative patients with parenchymatous neurosyphilis. It demonst rated frontal and temporal atrophy, subcortical gliosis and, in one pa tient, increased ferritin in the basal ganglia. The progression of the lesions on MRI correlated well with the neuropsychiatric disturbances . The MRI findings correlated with the well-known neuropathological fi ndings. This combination of pathological findings in neurosyphilis has not been described before and we suggest that MRI is of prognostic va lue in patients with general paresis.