Otosyphilis: missed opportunities for early treatment?

Otosyphilis is one of the few potentially reversible causes of hearing loss. The diagnosis is made if a patient has audiological symptoms and positive syphilis serology after exclusion of other causes. Robust evidence for optimal management is lacking given the absence of controlled trials and audiological outcome after treatment is variable and often poor. We identified patients with otosyphilis in our unit through notes review. Seven cases were identified between 2007 and 2011. Median age was 34 (31–51) years; six …