All Posts Tagged With: "untreated"

Only two spirochetal infections are known to cause nervous system infection and
damage: neurosyphilis and neuroborreliosis (nervous system Lyme disease).
Diagnosis of both generally relies on indirect tools, primarily assessment of
the host immune response to the organism. Reliance on these indirect measures
poses some challenges, particularly as they are imperfect measures of treatment
response. Despite this, both infections are known to be readily curable with
straightforward antimicrobial regimens. The challenge is that, untreated, both
infections can cause progressive nervous system damage. Although this can be
microbiologically cured, the threat of permanent resultant neurologic damage,
often severe in neurosyphilis and usually less so in neuroborreliosis, leads to
considerable concern and emphasizes the need for prevention or early and
accurate diagnosis and treatment.