Novel radiographic presentation of primary syphilis of the tonsil

Camps, Garrett; Pavelchek, Cole; Eldaya, Rami W.; Parsons, Matthew S.

doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2021.07.047

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Previous case reports of syphilitic tonsillitis published in English are summarised in table 1 4–10 15–22. Laterality of tonsil and cervical lymphadenopathy are not useful in distinguishing between primary and secondary syphilis (online supplemental table 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unilateral tonsillitis due to primary syphilis with gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes confirmed by Gram stain of pus

Taniguchi,

Yamamoto,

Miyoshi

et al. 2024

BMJ Case Rep

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A man in his 40s presented with pharyngeal pain and right cervical lymphadenopathy that persisted for 1 month. His right tonsil was swollen and covered with exudate; however, a rapid streptococcal antigen test was negative. Rapid plasma reagin andTreponema pallidumantibody were positive. Gram staining of the pus confirmed the presence of gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes. The patient had unprotected oral intercourse. He did not have any skin lesions. He was diagnosed with primary syphilis and treated with benzathine penicillin G. In adults, the differential diagnosis of tonsillitis should include sexually transmitted diseases. A rapid streptococcal antigen test is not sufficient for such a case; a syphilis test is necessary, and Gram staining, which is rapid and does not need any special equipment, can support the diagnosis.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unless serological tests for syphilis are measured, diagnosis of syphilitic tonsillitis tends to be delayed 7. Some tonsillitis of primary syphilis could develop into secondary syphilis,5 8 or invasive procedures such as biopsies8 9 to investigate malignancy or even tonsillectomy5 10 might be performed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unilateral tonsillitis due to primary syphilis with gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes confirmed by Gram stain of pus

Taniguchi,

Yamamoto,

Miyoshi

et al. 2024

BMJ Case Rep

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The Mucosal Manifestations of Syphilis in the Head and Neck

Khan¹,

Sharma²,

Hathorn³

et al. 2023

Ear Nose Throat J

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Objectives: Syphilis is a resurging disease which can present itself in many ways, including lesions within the head and neck mucosa. Some of these lesions may clinically mimic oral malignancies. This literature review aims to better characterize the mucosal presentations of syphilis. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for full-text, English articles published from 1950 to 2022 that reported patients with head and neck mucosal manifestations of syphilis. Articles were screened according to PRISMA guidelines. Results: One hundred forty-three manuscripts documenting 236 individual patients were included in the review. Patients with secondary syphilis accounted for 62% of patients presenting with head and neck mucosal lesions. The most common lesions found in primary and secondary syphilis were ulcerations, primarily found on the tongue, lips, and palate. While serologic studies are the gold standard for diagnosing syphilis, biopsy of these lesions have characteristic syphilitic changes. Conclusions: Syphilis’ nickname of “The great imitator” remains to be true, and the head and neck mucosal manifestations of this disease can resemble commonly seen malignancies. Awareness of this disease and its lesions is prudent given the rising incidence of syphilis within the United States.

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Novel radiographic presentation of primary syphilis of the tonsil

Cited by 2 publications

References 7 publications

Unilateral tonsillitis due to primary syphilis with gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes confirmed by Gram stain of pus

Unilateral tonsillitis due to primary syphilis with gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes confirmed by Gram stain of pus

The Mucosal Manifestations of Syphilis in the Head and Neck

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