Artigo Acesso aberto Produção Nacional Revisado por pares

Secondary Syphilis Presenting as Glossodynia, Plaques en Prairie Fauchée , and a Split Papule at the Oral Commissure: Case Report and Review

2017; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; Volume: 2017; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1155/2017/1980798

ISSN

1687-9627

Autores

Walter de Araújo Eyer-Silva, Maria Alessandra Leite Freire, Cecília Angelina Horta-Araujo, Guilherme Almeida Rosa da Silva, Jorge Francisco da Cunha Pinto, Fernando Raphael de Almeida Ferry,

Tópico(s)

Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders

Resumo

Syphilis has been coined "the great imitator" due to its extreme heterogeneity of presentation and mimicry of other conditions. Therefore, it is essential that physicians be familiar with the full spectrum of its manifestations. Syphilis may also lead to oral lesions that, occasionally, are unaccompanied by concomitant tegumentary findings. Such patients will pose unique diagnostic challenges. We report the case of a 45-year-old HIV-infected male patient in whom secondary syphilis presented with burning mouth and dysgeusia that progressed to glossodynia and odynophagia. Examination revealed painful, shallow erosions on the posterior aspect of the tongue, in a pattern of plaques en prairie fauchée. A painful split papule (fausse perlèche or false angular cheilitis) was also present in the left commissure. There were no cutaneous lesions. The oral lesions were considered highly suggestive of secondary syphilis. A novel VDRL assay (which was previously negative) yielded a titer of 1/128. Complete clinical remission was rapidly achieved after initiation of penicillin therapy. A comprehensive review of the literature on oral manifestations of syphilis is offered.

Referência(s)