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. 2023 Jun 30;43(2):157-163.
doi: 10.7705/biomedica.6603.

Bone involvement in non-congenital syphilis

[Article in English, Spanish]
Daniela Trujillo  1 , Carlos Andrés Agudelo  2 , Andrés Chavarriaga  3 , Pablo Villa  4 , Alejandro Vélez  5 , Ricardo Cardona  6 , Alicia Hidrón  4
Affiliations

Bone involvement in non-congenital syphilis

[Article in English, Spanish]
Daniela Trujillo et al. Biomedica. .

Abstract
in English, Spanish, Spanish

We documented two stages of bone involvement due to syphilis in two adult patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Bony lesions of secondary versus tertiary syphilis cannot be differentiated on clinical or radiologic grounds alone. Given the rarity of this clinical presentation, there is no consensus on treatment duration and related outcomes.

Se describen dos etapas de compromiso óseo por sífilis en dos pacientes adultos infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana. Las lesiones óseas de la sífilis secundaria y de la sífilis terciaria no se pueden diferenciar únicamente por características clínicas o radiológicas. Dada la rareza de esta presentación clínica, no hay consenso sobre la duración del tratamiento y los resultados relacionados.

Se describen dos etapas de compromiso óseo por sífilis en dos pacientes adultos infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana. Las lesiones óseas de la sífilis secundaria y de la sífilis terciaria no se pueden diferenciar únicamente por características clínicas o radiológicas. Dada la rareza de esta presentación clínica, no hay consenso sobre la duración del tratamiento y los resultados relacionados.

Keywords: Syphilis; bone and bones; bone neoplasms; neurosyphilis; HIV.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Left column: Case 1 - Tertiary syphilis. (A) Three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull computed tomography showing the bone lesion in the frontal bone. (B) Syphilitic gumma with chronic granulomatous infiltrate, hematoxylin eosin, 10X. (C) Immunochemistry of the lytic bone lesion showing spirochetes in the tissue.
Right column: Case 2 - Secondary syphilis. (D) PET scan revealing lytic lesions with increased metabolism on the frontal and temporal bones. (E) Lymphoplasmocytic infiltrate in the bone biopsy, hematoxylin eosin, 100X. (F) Warthin-Starry stain revealing the presence of numerous spirochetes, 100X
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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