Late latent mucinous syphilis mimicking connective tissue disease

Abstract

As evidenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics, syphilis is yet again on the rise. It is known as the great mimicker because of its variable symptoms and how frequently it can be confused with other diseases. The different stages of syphilis (primary, secondary, latent, late latent and tertiary) are discussed. We describe a new histopathologic pattern of syphilis, one that mimics connective tissue disease and can represent a diagnostic pitfall. In this time and age, when syphilis is rising especially among the men who have sex with men subgroup, it is important to keep a high index of suspicion of syphilis even when clinically and histopathologically the findings on first glance may not appear characteristic.

Congenital syphilis as a clinical and histopathologic mimic of neonatal lupus

“…It should be noted that antibodies to SSA and/or SSB are most likely to be positive in patients with neonatal lupus and that anti‐dsDNA antibody positivity, unlike in subjects with systemic lupus, is not considered a reliable marker for neonatal lupus . Case reports of syphilis have also noted the cutaneous histopathological similarities between syphilis and SLE or connective tissue disease in general . To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of congenital syphilis having striking similarities both clinically and histopathologically to neonatal lupus.…”