Late syphilis in a cardiac transplant patient.

Abstract

Patients undergoing cardiac transplantation are routinely screened for prior exposure to Treponema pallidum, the bacterium implicated in syphilis. Although acute syphilis typically presents with a painless genital chancre, chronic syphilis can manifest in protean forms and linger undiagnosed. Left untreated, syphilis can cause multi-system disease, particularly irreversible neurologic damage. We describe a case of cutaneous secondary syphilis, neurosyphilis and luetic hepatitis in a cardiac transplant patient.

• Authors: Maryjane Farr, Adam I Rubin, Christina Mangurian, Brian Scully, David N Silvers, Sameera Husain, Marc E Grossman, Donna Mancini
• Journal: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation (J Heart Lung Transplant) Vol. 25 Issue 3 Pg. 358-61 (Mar 2006) ISSN: 1557-3117 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 16507433 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Penicillin G Benzathine

Topics

• Heart Transplantation
• Hepatitis (etiology)
• Humans
• Immunosuppression Therapy (adverse effects)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neurosyphilis (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Penicillin G Benzathine (therapeutic use)
• Syphilis, Cutaneous (diagnosis)