Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Osteitis is an under-recognised clinical manifestation of early syphilis, especially in patients with HIV. We report here a case of syphilitic osteitis of the skull and review its clinical presentation, diagnosis and management.

Keywords

Syphilis HIV AIDS sexually transmitted infection secondary syphilis osteitis

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Stokes

Beerman

Ingram

. Modern clinical syphilology, 3rd ed. Philadelphia and London: Saunders, 1944770.

Reynolds

Wasserman

. Destructive osseous lesions in early syphilis. Arch Intern Med 1942; 69: 263–276.

Mindel

Tovey

Timmins

. Primary and secondary syphilis, 20 years’ experience. 2. Clinical features. Genitourin Med 1989; 65: 1–3.

Biox

Merino

Reus

. Polyostotic osteitis in secondary syphilis in an HIV-infected patient. Sex Transm Dis 2013; 40: 645–646.

Fabricus

Winther

Ewertsen

. Osteitis in the dens of axis caused by Treponema pallidum. BMC Infect Dis 2013; 13: 347–347.

Trevillyan

Yap

Hay

. The great medical imitator: a case of syphilitic osteitis in the setting of HIV infection. Sex Health 2013; 10: 275–278.

Toby

Larbalestier

Kulasegaram

. Calvarial syphilis in an HIV positive man. Int J STD AIDS 2012; 23: 365–366.

Lynn

Lightman

. Syphilis and HIV: a dangerous combination. Lancet Infect Dis 2004; 4: 456–466.

Kastner

Malone

Decker

. Syphilitic osteitis in a patient with secondary syphilis and concurrent human immunodeficiency virus infection. Clin Infect Dis 1994; 18: 250–252.

10.

Naraghi

Salonen

Bloom

. Magnetic resonance imaging features of osseous manifestations of early acquired syphilis. Skeletal Radiol 2010; 39: 305–309.

11.

Werner

Holzmann

Maul

. Early syphilis and the skeletal system. Hautarzt 1990; 41: 612–616.