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. 2022 Dec 21;10(2):ofac685.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac685. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Otosyphilis

Lucy S Witt  1 , A Wendy Fujita  1 , Jeanne Ho  2 , Yoo Mee Shin  3 , Ketino Kobaidze  3 , Kimberly Workowski  1
Affiliations

Otosyphilis

Lucy S Witt et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Otosyphilis can be challenging to diagnose, but, if left unrecognized, it may cause irreversible damage. An immunologic interplay between syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) makes coinfection likely and may predispose people with HIV to neurosyphilis. In this study, we present a case of a man in his 50s with hearing loss and vertigo diagnosed with otosyphilis as well as a new diagnosis of HIV. This case and corresponding discussion serve to inform the noninfectious disease-trained clinician of the symptoms, diagnostics, and treatment options for otosyphilis as well as to discuss the relationship between HIV and syphilis and demonstrate the importance of disease recognition.

Keywords: HIV; otosyphilis; syphilis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: No reported conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Syphilis stages. From Ghanem, Ram, and Rice [18]. Copyright © 2020. Massachusetts Medical Society. Reprinted with permission from Massachusetts Medical Society. CNS, Central Nervous System.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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