Malignant syphilis in a young woman: A case report

Abstract

Malignant syphilis (MS) is a rare dermatological manifestation of secondary syphilis. This case report describes a young woman that presented with a 15-day history of generalized condyloma lata and seborrheic dermatitis-like lesions at various stages. Laboratory tests showed a toluidine red unheated serum test titre of 1:128 and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination positivity. Serology for HIV antibodies was repeatedly negative. MS was diagnosed according to established MS diagnostic criteria. The lesions regressed after treatment with 2 400 000 units penicillin G benzathine by intramuscular injection weekly for three consecutive weeks. MS is more frequently associated with HIV-infected patients, which makes this current case more interesting because MS in HIV-negative patients has rarely been reported.

An Exuberant Case of Ulceronodular-Rupioid (Malignant) Syphilis in an HIV Patient: A Proposal for New Diagnostic Criteria

“…This severe manifestation of secondary syphilis was first described by French physician Pierre-Antoine-Ernest Bazin in 1859 [ 14 ]. Ulceronodular-rupioid syphilis was not fully accepted as a manifestation of secondary syphilis until the works of Neisser [ 15 ] and Haslund [ 16 ] in 1897 [ 7 , 17 , 18 ]. Few cases of UNRS were described before the HIV pandemic.…”

Sífilis maligna: comunicación de 2 casos en pacientes sin SIDA

“…Sin embargo, es posible observar esta forma clínica en pacientes sin ninguna de esas condiciones ni patologías (5,6) , como los 2 casos presentados en esta comunicación.…”

A Peculiar Presentation of Syphilis as a Mysterious Rash: A Dermatological Dilemma

“…However, cutaneous necrotic sores and rash with eschar can mimic other disease processes when accompanied by prodromal symptoms of fever, myalgias, and arthralgia. Malignant syphilis is a rare condition that was first described in 1859, and since then, only a handful of cases have been reported [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The authors reported a case of a middle-aged woman with AIDS noncompliant with her highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and malnourished presenting with an unusual, peculiar rash.…”