DISTRIBUTION OF CARBONIC ANHYDRASE IN THE PALLIUM IN NINETEEN CASES OF PARETIC NEUROSYPHILIS*†

Abstract

The distribution pattern of carbonic anhydrase was studied in the brains of 19 patients with paretic neurosyphilis. In 11 brains, there were marked irregularities in the enzyme content. These were from patients whose spinal fluid findings were still strongly positive, although 5 had received intensive treatment. In 8 cases, irregularities in distribution were not found. In these cases, the spinal fluid findings had either become negative or had shown substantial improvement before death.