German guideline on neurosyphilis

Neurosyphilis is a severe disease which can manifest with various clinical signs. The diagnosis can be challenging. Patients with positive syphilis serology and neurological or psychiatric symptoms should undergo cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination. The definite diagnosis is based on CSF findings, including evidence of inflammation, intrathecal production of treponemal antibodies (plus reactive non-treponema specific tests in the CSF). However, these criteria are not always fulfilled and a diagnosis of probable neurosyphilis may be established using less stringent diagnostic criteria. Treatment with intravenous penicillin or ceftriaxone is recommended for neurosyphilis. Here, a short version of the recommendations of the German guidelines on neurosyphilis that were published in 2026 is presented.

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Publication Details

Journal
Neurological Research and Practice
Published
2026-08-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-026-00525-0
Primary Topic
Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

German guideline on neurosyphilis

Anja Potthoff, Matthias Maschke, Simone Scheithauer, Lara Chilver-Stainer et al.
Neurological Research and Practice
Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
article

German guideline on neurosyphilis

Anja Potthoff, Matthias Maschke, Simone Scheithauer, Lara Chilver-Stainer, Katrin Hahn, Klemens Angstwurm, Stefan Eßer, Ricardo Niklas Werner, Jörg Weber, Juliane Fazio, Matthias Klein, Brigitte Wildmann
article en

Abstract

Neurosyphilis is a severe disease which can manifest with various clinical signs. The diagnosis can be challenging. Patients with positive syphilis serology and neurological or psychiatric symptoms should undergo cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination. The definite diagnosis is based on CSF findings, including evidence of inflammation, intrathecal production of treponemal antibodies (plus reactive non-treponema specific tests in the CSF). However, these criteria are not always fulfilled and a diagnosis of probable neurosyphilis may be established using less stringent diagnostic criteria. Treatment with intravenous penicillin or ceftriaxone is recommended for neurosyphilis. Here, a short version of the recommendations of the German guidelines on neurosyphilis that were published in 2026 is presented.

Neurological Research and PracticeVol. 8(1)
German Society of Surgery (DE), Trier University of Applied Sciences (DE), Heidelberg University (DE), University Hospitals of the Ruhr-University of Bochum (DE), University Hospital of Bern (CH), AIDS United (US), Klinikum Klagenfurt (AT), Société Suisse de Dermatologie et Vénéréologie (CH), Laboratory Krone (DE), German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (DE), Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene (DE), CS Diagnostics (DE), Katholisches Klinikum Bochum (DE), Austrian Society of Cardiology (AT), University of Regensburg (DE), University of Duisburg-Essen (DE), University of Göttingen (DE), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE), Universität Trier (DE)
Schweizerischen Neurologischen Gesellschaft, Neurocritical Care Society, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurologie
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
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