This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (26)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Lewis M. Drusin, MD, MPH; Carol Singer, MD; August J. Valenti, MD; Donald Armstrong, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1977;137(2):156-160.

Abstract
Five patients who were initially evaluated for malignant neoplasm actually had infectious syphilis (one primary, two secondaries, two secondaries with persistence of primary). Two patients were considered for radical surgery and one for extensive radiation and/or chemotherapy. In four patients an elevated routine admission VDRL was the first indication of the correct diagnosis. Dark-field examination is the most important laboratory test in the diagnosis of primary syphilis; VDRL and FTA-ABS are most important in confirming secondary syphilis. Penicillin remains the drug of choice for therapy. At a time when the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases is increasing, it is extremely important to develop adequate educational programs for medical students and physicians.

(Arch Intern Med 137:156-160, 1977)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Public Health and Medicine, The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and the Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. Dr. Valenti is now with the Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication July 2, 1976.

Reprint requests to 525 E 68th St, New York 10021 (Dr Drusin).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Secondary Syphilitic Lesions
Baughn and Musher
Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 2005;18:205-216.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Case 45-1994- A 47-Year-Old Man with Inguinal Lymphadenopathy and Fever during Preparation for a Bone Marrow Transplant
Finberg and Mattia
NEJM 1994;331:1703-1710.
FULL TEXT  

Diagnostic Decision: Syphilis Tests in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Decision Making
HART
ANN INTERN MED 1986;104:368-376.
ABSTRACT  

Syphilitic Enteritis
Schlossberg et al.
Arch Intern Med 1984;144:811-812.
ABSTRACT  

Epidemiology of Infectious Syphilis at a Tertiary Hospital
Drusin et al.
Arch Intern Med 1979;139:901-904.
ABSTRACT