Advertisement
Research Article| Volume 20, ISSUE 2, P156-163, March 2002

The great imitator: malignant syphilis with hepatitis

      49-year-old Caucasian man presented with a generalized pruritic eruption of 1-week duration. When seen in early June 1999, he had developed red macules, papules (some with a collarette of scale), plaques, nodules covered with eschars, punched-out ulcers, and other ulcerations covered with an ecthymatous crust on the face, trunk, genitals, thighs, arms, and palms. (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3) The mucous membranes were clear, and there was no adenopathy.
      Figure thumbnail GR1
      Figure 1A generalized eruption consisting of red maculopapules and nodules with a punched-out ulcer. Many of the lesions are covered with crusts.
      Figure thumbnail GR2
      Figure 2Punched-out ulcers covered with erythematous crusts.
      Figure thumbnail GR3
      Figure 3Crusted papules and an ulcer on the genitals.
      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Clinics in Dermatology
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Cripps D.J
        • Curtis A.C
        Syphilis maligna praecox.
        Arch Intern Med. 1967; 119: 411-418
        • Fehrer J
        • Somogyi T
        • Timmer M
        • et al.
        Early syphilitic hepatitis.
        Lancet. 1975; 2: 896-899
        • Sehgal V.N
        • Rege V.L
        Malignant syphilis and hepatitis.
        Br J Vener Dis. 1974; 50: 237-238
        • Agrowal N.M
        • Sassaris M
        • Brooks B
        • et al.
        The liver in secondary syphilis.
        S Med J. 1982; 75: 1136-1138
        • Longstreth P
        • Hoke A.W
        • McElroy C
        Hepatitis and bone destruction are common manifestations of early syphilis.
        Arch Dermatol. 1976; 112: 1451-1454
        • Don P.C
        • Rubinstein R
        • Christie S
        Malignant syphilis (Lues maligna) and concurrent infection with HIV.
        Int J Dermatol. 1995; 34: 403-407
        • DeRie M.A
        • Mekkes J.R
        • Cohen E.B
        • et al.
        Syphilis maligna.
        Br J Dermatol. 1991; 125: 390-391
        • Held J.L
        • Ross M
        • Beltrani V
        • et al.
        Noduloulcerative or malignant syphilis occurring in an otherwise healthy woman.
        Cutis. 1990; 45: 119-122
        • Sharma V.K
        • Sharma R
        • Kumar B
        • et al.
        Ulcerative secondary syphilis.
        Int J Dermatol. 1990; 29: 585-586
        • Gregory N
        • Sanchez M
        • Buchness M.R
        The spectrum of syphilis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
        J Am Acad Dermatol. 1990; 22: 1061-1067
        • Tosca A
        • Starropoulos P.G
        • Hatziolou E
        • et al.
        Malignant syphilis in HIV infected patients.
        Int J Dermatol. 1990; 29: 575-578
        • Bari M.M
        • Shulkin D.J
        • Abell E
        Ulcerative syphilis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
        J Am Acad Dermatol. 1989; 21: 1310-1312
        • Shulkin D
        • Tripoli L
        • Abell E
        Lues maligna in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
        Am J Med. 1988; 85: 425-427
        • Bahmer F.A
        • Anton-Lambrecht L
        Ultrastructural features of malignant syphilis and demonstration of Treponema pallidum.
        Int J Dermatol. 1983; 22: 165-170
        • Pariser H
        Precocious noduloulcerative cutaneous syphilis.
        Arch Dermatol. 1975; 111: 76-77
        • Petrozzi J.W
        • Lockshin N.A
        • Berger B.J
        Malignant syphilis.
        Arch Dermatol. 1974; 109: 387-389
        • Fisher D.A
        • Chang L.W
        • Tuffanelli D.L
        Lues maligna.
        Arch Dermatol. 1969; 99: 70-73
        • Cripps D.J
        • Curtis A.C
        A case of (and for) syphilis maligna and negative serology.
        Arch Dermatol. 1969; 100: 122-124
        • Wile U.J
        • Wieder L
        • Warthin A.S
        Malignant syphilis.
        Am J Syphilol. 1930; 14: 1-34
        • Lejman K
        • Starzycki Z
        Syphilis maligna praecox.
        Br J Vener Dis. 1972; 48: 194-199
        • Marchal C.F
        Some points on malignant syphilis.
        Urol Cutan Rev. 1917; 21: 579-580