Sífilis atípica extracutánea en pacientes con infección por VIH / Extracutaneous atypical syphilis in HIV-infected patients

Introducción y objetivo: Se describe una serie de casos de sífilis con presentaciones clínicas atípicas extracutáneas en pacientes con infección por VIH. Métodos: Estudio observacional retrospectivo. Se analizaron todos los casos de sífilis diagnosticados en pacientes VIH+ en el período de junio de 2013 a junio de 2016 en un hospital terciario del área metropolitana de Barcelona. Resultados: Se diagnosticaron 71 casos de sífilis, de los cuales 32 presentaron manifestaciones clínicas. De estos, 7 casos (un 9,8% del total y un 21,8% de los casos sintomáticos) tuvieron una presentación clínica atípica con afectación extracutánea, en forma de sífilis ocular (4), gástrica (uno), abscesos hepáticos múltiples (uno) y adenopatías generalizadas sin afectación cutánea (uno). Todos los pacientes fueron tratados con penicilina por vía intramuscular o intravenosa, con evolución clínica y serológica favorable. Conclusión: En el 21,8% de los casos de sífilis sintomática en pacientes VIH+ se observaron presentaciones clínicas extracutáneas atípicas siendo la más frecuente la afectación ocular (AU)

Introduction and objective: We describe a series of cases of syphilis with atypical extracutaneous clinical presentation diagnosed in HIV-infected patients. Methods: Retrospective observational study. All cases of syphilis diagnosed in HIV-infected patients during the period between June 2013 and June 2016 in a tertiary hospital of the Barcelona metropolitan area were analysed. Results: A total of 71 cases of syphilis were diagnosed, 32 of them presenting with clinical signs or symptoms. Seven of these cases (9.8% of the total and 21.8% of the symptomatic cases) had atypical presentations with extracutaneous involvement: ocular (4), gastric (1), multiple hepatic abscesses (1) and generalised adenopathies (1). Patients were treated with intramuscular or intravenous penicillin and the clinical and serological evolution was good in all of them. Conclusions: Extracutaneous atypical clinical presentations were observed in 21.8% of symptomatic cases of syphilis in HIV+ patients with ocular involvement being the most frequent (AU)

Atypical Cutaneous Manifestations in Syphilis. / Manifestaciones cutáneas atipícas en la sífilis.

Although the diversity of the clinical manifestations of syphilis is well-known, atypical presentations can also occur. Such atypical presentations are associated with a high risk of transmission as a result of diagnostic confusion and treatment delays owing to the disease's ability to mimic other common skin diseases, deviate from classic clinical presentations, and adopt unique forms. Cases of atypical syphilis have been described most frequently in patients with concomitant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Because the incidence of syphilis has been growing over recent years -particularly in patients with HIV co-infection- dermatologists need to be familiar with the less well-known clinical presentations of this venereal disease.

[Syphilis. Clinical aspects of Treponema pallidum infection]. / Syphilis. Klinik der Treponema-pallidum-Infektion.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection by Treponema pallidum. Without antibiotic treatment syphilis lasts for several decades and may develop up to 4 different clinical stages. Usually, the disease begins with a distinct painless and indurated ulcer at the contact site: the primary chancre. An indolent regional lymph node swelling is usually associated with the syphilitic chancre. After spontaneous healing of the primary lesion and several weeks of latency, the clinical symptoms of secondary syphilis occur. Treponema pallidum bacteremia leads to common symptoms like fever and malaise, but also to a generalized lymphadenopathy, and a broad variety of lesions of the skin and mucosal membranes. Non-pruritic transient exanthems often involving palms and soles, condylomata lata, and a specific angina with mucous patches of the oral cavity are prominent signs. After several relapses, which are characterized by a decreasing intensity of clinical symptoms, secondary syphilis then resolves spontaneously. A second period of latency follows, lasting 3-12 years. Then the outcome of untreated syphilis becomes apparent: spontaneous healing by elimination/inactivation of the spirochetes (75%) or transition to tertiary syphilis (25%). Two kinds of granulomatous skin reactions are typical for tertiary syphilis: superficial nodular syphilids and gummas. The bones, as well as the cardiovascular and central nervous system, may also be involved. Finally, metasyphilis with severe and sometimes lethal neurological symptoms (tabes dorsalis, progressive paralysis) occurs 10 to 30 years after primary infection. Except for irreversible tissue destruction which occurs prior to therapy, all stages of syphilis can be cured completely.

Primary and secondary syphilis in the metropolitan area of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee: 1996 to 1998 epidemic described.

BACKGROUND: Metropolitan Nashville, Tennessee experienced a syphilis epidemic from 1996 to 1998. GOAL: This study describes the syphilis epidemic during this period. DESIGN: Descriptive analyses of syphilis surveillance data (1988-1998) were performed, with emphasis on the current epidemic (1996-1998), and were stratified by age, gender, race, and census tracts. RESULTS: Five features were observed regarding the 1996 to 1998 syphilis epidemic: (1) males and females were almost equally affected, with a delay in diagnosis in female patients; (2) the 30-39-year age group was most affected; (3) the 15-19-year age group had the highest percentage increase in incidence; (4) African Americans were the most affected population subgroup; and (5) downtown Nashville and the surrounding areas were most affected. CONCLUSION: Although talk of eradicating syphilis has surfaced nationally, Nashville has continually faced syphilis as a public health problem. During each of the past 3 years (1996-1998), the incidence of syphilis in this community has reached epidemic proportions.

Primary and secondary syphilis: a histopathological study.

We present a study of biopsies taken from skin lesions of 44 patients presenting with primary or secondary syphilis. In most primary lesions erosion or, more often, ulceration was present, with a dense inflammatory infiltrate. In secondary syphilis a wide variety of histological changes was present. Blood vessels were frequently involved, with marked endothelial swelling and often proliferation. Treponemes were demonstrated with the Steiner staining method in all investigated cases of primary syphilis and in 71% of secondary syphilis cases. Treponemes were present throughout the dermis, particularly perivascularly, and in the dermal-epidermal junction zone. In two specimens of secondary syphilis treponemes were located predominantly in the epidermis, but there were always some microorganisms demonstrable in the dermis. The inflammatory infiltrate was often located in a perivascular coat-sleeve-like arrangement. In this study plasma cells and lymphocytes were present in all specimens of primary and secondary syphilis. Syphilitic lesions differed from yaws lesions mostly in the location of treponemes and the affection of blood vessels. In this histopathological study of early syphilis, treponemes did not show the epidermiotropic character of yaws, and blood vessel changes were more pronounced than in yaws. Unfortunately, due to the protean histopathological manifestations described in venereal syphilis and in yaws, these two treponemal diseases cannot always be differentiated on histological grounds alone.