Secondary syphilitic meningitis

This code represents inflammation of the meninges (membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord) caused by secondary syphilis. It is a neurological complication that occurs during the secondary stage of syphilis infection, typically characterized by a rash and systemic symptoms.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states "secondary syphilitic meningitis" or "meningitis due to secondary syphilis." Supporting documentation should include a confirmed diagnosis of syphilis (e.g., positive serology like RPR/VDRL and FTA-ABS) and clinical evidence of meningeal involvement.

• Always confirm the stage of syphilis (primary, secondary, latent, tertiary) before assigning a code for neurosyphilis.
• Do not confuse with other forms of neurosyphilis, such as tabes dorsalis or general paresis, which occur in later stages.
• Assign an additional code for the underlying syphilis infection (A51.4x for secondary syphilis) if not already included in the meningitis code.