[Syphilitic chancre in the mouth: an unusual location. Case report]

BACKGROUND

Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum, transmitted mainly by direct contact with the lesion. Primary syphilis usually presents with a chancre at the site of infection, which is highly contagious and resolves without treatment. The aim of this article is to illustrate an unusual location of a syphilitic chancre, in order to consider this diagnosis within the approach to patients with oral ulcers.

CLINICAL CASE

a 30-year-old man who presented a dermatosis located in the left labial commissure, characterized by a painless ulcer of 1 cm in diameter of 20 days of evolution. The patient has a history of HIV/AIDS. A punch biopsy of the dermatosis was performed, with a histopathological report compatible with syphilitic chancre and a negative VDRL result. He was treated with penicillin G benzathine showing improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary syphilis is characterized by the development of the syphilitic chancre, which is the first manifestation of syphilis in up to 60% of cases. Extragenital presentation is rare, with only 12-14% of all cases, and of these between 40-70% occur in the mouth, being the lips the most frequent location. Oral manifestations can represent a diagnostic challenge due to its wide spectrum of clinical presentations.

An extraordinary case of syphilis presenting with a labial ulcer

In the differential diagnosis of patients with ulcers on the lips characteristics like the duration of the ulcer, number, size, depth, shape, base, margins, and distribution are considered. Such ulcers arise from many diseases particularly, viral and bacterial infections, malignancies can also be responsible. Classic syphilitic chancres are painless erosions settled on hard papule; these are evident in the genital area in more than 90% of patients. This study describes a case of a 38-year-old female patient presenting with a painful ulcer covering 3 quarters of the upper lip showing settlement on erythematous, edematous, and indurated plaque covered with hemorrhagic crusts. The aim of this study was to consider differences between the classic syphilitic chancre typically found in the genital region from extragenital chancres and to raise awareness of the possibility of primary syphilis when patients present with painful ulcers on the lip.

Chancre redux or reinfection? A case report in an HIV-positive man

An HIV-positive heterosexual man presented with a recurrent penile chancre, 20 months after treatment with intramuscular procaine benzyl penicillin. Was this a rare case of chancre redux (monorecidive) or re-infection?

Multiple penile lesions - a case study

A man, 34 years of age, presented with a 4 day history of painless ulcerative lesions on his penis.

Rectal cancer or rectal chancre? Beware of primary syphilis

The prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) has risen in recent years [Brown AE, Sadler KE, Tomkins SE, McGarrigle CA, LaMontagne DS, Goldberg D, et al. Recent trends in HIV and other STIs in the United Kindom: data to the end of 2002. Sex Transm Infect 2004;80:159-66]. Homosexually active men have frequent intestinal and rectal symptoms due to sexually acquired gastrointestinal infections [Surawicz CM, Goodell SE, Quinn TC, Roberts PL, Corey L, Holmes KK, et al. Spectrum of rectal biopsy abnormalities in homosexual men with intestinal symptoms. Gastroenterology 1986;91:651-9]. The number of reported cases of primary syphilis is increasing especially among this group of people [Goh BT. Syphilis in adults. Sex Transm Infect 2005;81:448-52 ]. We herein describe a case of a young man with a primary syphilitic rectal localization mimicking rectal cancer.

Primäraffekt am Finger unter dem Bild einer chronischen Paronychie

A 33-year-old woman presented with a 4-months history of a granulating ulcer on the right index finger. Paronychia was suspected and nail extraction with subsequent histopathologic examination of the removed tissue was performed. Two months later, it became known that the patient's sexual partner had been treated for syphilis. The patient's serology was also positive. Subsequent examination of the original tissue sample by polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry using Treponema pallidum-specific antibodies, and silver staining revealed large numbers of syphilis bacteria, confirming the diagnosis of extragenital chancre.

Superimposed primary chancre in a patient with Adamantiades-Behçet's disease

Adamantiades-Behçet's disease was diagnosed in a 42 year old Turkish patient with recurrent oral aphthae, genital ulcerations, papules, and sterile pustules, histologically presenting as cutaneous vasculitis, and intermittent arthritis with joint effusion particularly of the knees. Six months after initial improvement under treatment with colchicine 2 mg/day, a solitary genital ulcer with enlarged inguinal lymph nodes appeared and persisted for 7 weeks despite the continuation of colchicine treatment and the introduction of clindamycin 2 mg/day intravenously. The unusual persistence of the ulcer and the failure of clindamycin therapy led to further differential diagnostic considerations and the identification of primary syphilis. The genital lesion healed 4 weeks after initiation of treatment with tetracycline 2 mg/day by mouth for 15 days.

Primary tuberculous chancre in a renal transplant patient

A case of primary tuberculous chancre of the vulva is reported. Although a tuberculous infection in an immunocompromised patient is not uncommon, this is the first report of a primary tuberculous infection on the external genitalia in such a patient. The source of infection in this patient could not be determined.

A case of mixed chancre

A 39-year-old Norwegian seaman developed penile ulcerations after sexual contact overseas. The diagnosis of syphilitic chancre and of chancroid was confirmed. The ulcers healed after combined treatment with benzathine penicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

A case of monorecidive syphilitic chancre

A 24-year-old man who had been in contact with a woman who had infectious syphilis developed a painless sore on his penis. His general practitioner prescribed tetracycline (250 mg four times a day for seven days). After approximately one month he developed another painless sore at the same site as the previous one. The diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed by dark-field microscopy and serologic tests. Reinfection was thought to be unlikely because he denied having sexual intercourse after the first visit to his general practitioner. Thus, the new lesion was thought to be a case of monorecidive syphilitic chancre.

Treatment of primary and secondary syphilis. Serological response

One hundred thirty-eight patients with primary syphillis and 161 patients with secondary syphilis were treated with penicillin G benzathine, 2.4 million units given intramuscularly weekly for two weeks, for a total of 4.8 million units. All 138 patients with primary syphilis had a rapid resolution of their lesions, and all became seronegative within one year. Similarly, the 161 patients with secondary syphilis were cured clinically, and all achieved seronegativity within 24 months.

Syphilitic balanitis of Follmann developing after the appearance of the primary chancre. A case report

A case of primary syphilitic chancre of the coronal sulcus with subsequent development of syphilitic balanitis of Follmann is described. The histopathological picture and preponderantly intraepidermal localization of T. pallidum in the lesions is discussed.