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Case Reports
. 2023 Jan-Jun;44(1):79-81.
doi: 10.4103/ijstd.ijstd_107_22. Epub 2023 Jun 6.

Jarisch‒Herxheimer reaction

Manjyot Gautam  1 , Sahil Sethi  1 , Nitin J Nadkarni  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Jarisch‒Herxheimer reaction

Manjyot Gautam et al. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2023 Jan-Jun.

Abstract

Syphilis is caused by a spirochete, Treponema pallidum. Diagnosis of syphilis is made with a venereal disease research laboratory test. Treatment of choice is intramuscular injection benzathine Penicillin. The Jarisch‒Herxheimer reaction (JHR) is a transient immunological phenomenon that can occur in patients during treatment for syphilis with penicillin. It is a rare phenomenon but can be a potentially severe one. It manifests clinically with short-term constitutional symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, and myalgia, besides exacerbation of existing cutaneous lesions. We report the case of a 24-year-old man presenting with JHR posttreatment with benzathine penicillin.

Keywords: Benzathine penicillin; Jarisch‒Herxheimer; immunological phenomenon.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Maculopapular rash on the trunk
Figure 2
Figure 2
Maculopapular rash on the trunk
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maculopapular rash on the trunk
Figure 4
Figure 4
Healed atrophic scar was present over the shaft of the penis
Figure 5
Figure 5
Intensification of erythema and maculopapular rash over the chest and abdomen
Figure 6
Figure 6
Intensification of erythema and maculopapular rash over Back
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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