| 摘要： | Background: The father of Czech music, Bedřich Smetana was a brilliant, patriotic Romantic
composer who spent his last decade completely deaf. He became progressively ill in his final
years and passed away prematurely at 60 years old. Since then, there have been two main
propositions for the etiology of his neurological symptoms, in particular his hearing loss:
neurosyphilis or osteomyelitis of the temporal bone.
Methods and Results: This article compares the clinical presentation and pathology of
neurosyphilis and osteomyelitis and infers which one is arguably the most likely cause based
on Smetana’s own medical history, signs and symptoms, and autopsy findings.
Conclusion: Smetana’s clinical presentation and pathological results grant us a clearer picture
of his neurological condition and allows us to diagnose his final neurological deterioration as
complications of neurosyphilis and not osteomyelitis of the temporal bone. |
