Nodular secondary syphilis in a woman.
BMJ Case Rep
; 20132013 May 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23661656
ABSTRACT
We report the case of a 21-year-old woman with symmetrically distributed, ulcerated nodules and plaques on the face, neck and arms. Initial differential diagnoses included pyoderma or sarcoidosis based on the clinical presentation and histopathology with non-caseating granulomas. After inefficient treatment with topical and systemic fusidic acid and steroids, we diagnosed nodular secondary syphilis owing to positive serology and immunohistochemical staining of Treponema pallidum in lesional skin. After treatment with benzathine penicillin, skin lesions improved and antibody titres declined significantly within 3 months. Nodular skin lesions in secondary syphilis are rare with 15 reported cases within the last 20 years. Furthermore, the granulomatous histology is often misleading. Our patient's case suggests that the physicians should be aware of syphilis as a possible differential diagnosis also in patients outside a high-risk population for sexually transmitted diseases and with an unusual clinical presentation.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Pele
/
Sífilis Cutânea
/
Treponema pallidum
/
Sífilis
/
Granuloma
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMJ Case Rep
Ano de publicação:
2013
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Suíça