Which symptom is not typically seen in tabes dorsalis neurosyphilis?

Which symptom is not typically seen in tabes dorsalis neurosyphilis?

• A. Abnormal gait
• B. Blindness
• C. Hyperreflexia
• D. Hearing loss

Answer: (C)

Tabes dorsalis is a degeneration of the dorsal columns and dorsal roots, so the most prominent problems are loss of proprioception and sense, leading to a sensory ataxic gait and a positive Romberg. Because the reflex arc depends on intact dorsal afferents, deep tendon reflexes in the legs are typically reduced or absent (areflexia). Hyperreflexia, by contrast, is an upper motor neuron sign caused by corticospinal tract pathology, not by posterior column/dorsal root damage, so it is not expected in tabes dorsalis. Abnormal gait fits the sensory ataxia picture, while blindness or hearing loss aren’t defining features of this specific neurosyphilis form.

Tabes dorsalis is a degeneration of the dorsal columns and dorsal roots, so the most prominent problems are loss of proprioception and sense, leading to a sensory ataxic gait and a positive Romberg. Because the reflex arc depends on intact dorsal afferents, deep tendon reflexes in the legs are typically reduced or absent (areflexia). Hyperreflexia, by contrast, is an upper motor neuron sign caused by corticospinal tract pathology, not by posterior column/dorsal root damage, so it is not expected in tabes dorsalis. Abnormal gait fits the sensory ataxia picture, while blindness or hearing loss aren’t defining features of this specific neurosyphilis form.