Syphilis is back: presentation of three cases at the ENT department

Syphilis is a sexually-transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum, and is transmitted either through sexual contact or vertically across the placenta. Rates of infection were at a low point in the early 1990s. Since then, increasing numbers of new cases of infections have been o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inB-ENT (Leuven) Vol. 8; no. 1; p. 65
Main Authors Gugatschka, M, Hammer, G P, Koele, W, Reiter, H, Friedrich, G, Lang-Loidolt, D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Belgium 01.01.2012
Subjects
Adult
Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage
Chancre - diagnosis
Chancre - epidemiology
Doxycycline - therapeutic use
HIV Infections - epidemiology
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Penicillin G - administration & dosage
Penile Diseases - microbiology
Risk Factors
Syphilis - epidemiology
Syphilis Serodiagnosis
Tongue Diseases - microbiology
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Summary:Syphilis is a sexually-transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum, and is transmitted either through sexual contact or vertically across the placenta. Rates of infection were at a low point in the early 1990s. Since then, increasing numbers of new cases of infections have been observed in all Western countries. Presentation of three patients with syphilis who presented within a short period of time in an ENT outpatient clinic. One must be aware of the increasing incidence of syphilis, even in head and neck disciplines. Typical symptoms of an early infection are an ulcerous lesion in the mouth, with or without cervical lymphadenopathy. The main therapy is high doses of penicillin G administered intramuscularly. Other simultaneous sexually-transmitted diseases, especially HIV infection, must be excluded. Unnoticed and untreated patients may develop late and life-threatening complications.
ISSN:1781-782X