[Syphilitic orchitis: a case report]

Abstract

Tertiary syphilis is recently a rare disease in Japan. In this paper, we report a rare case of syphilitic orchitis. The patient was in his early forties. The left scrotal contents were swelling and a low echoic nodule measuring about 30 mm in diameter was detected on ultrasonography. Serum alpha fetoprotein, lactate dehydrogenase, and beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin were within the normal range, whereas Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay and rapid plasma reagin were strongly positive. High orchiectomy was performed for suspicion of testicular tumor. Histological findings showed the non-specific inflammatory granuloma with lympho-plasmatic infiltration. It was diagnosed as granulomatous inflammation of left testis caused by syphilis.