Exploring the Ways of “The Great Imitator”: A Case Report of Syphilitic Hepatitis

• Main Authors: João A. Cunha Neves, Joana Roseira, Helena Tavares de Sousa, Rui Machado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Karger Publishers 2021-06-01
• Series: GE: Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology
• Subjects: syphilis; treponema pallidum; syphilitic hepatitis; secondary syphilis; case report
• Online Access: https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/516944
• ISSN: 2341-4545; 2387-1954

Introduction: Syphilis is a chronic infection caused by Treponema pallidum. Manifestations of this disease are vast, and syphilitic hepatitis is a rarely depicted form of secondary syphilis. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 63-year-old man with worsening jaundice, maculopapular rash and perianal discomfort. Proctological examination with anoscopy revealed a perianal gray/white area with millimetric pale granules along the anal canal. Liver function tests showed a mixed pattern. Venereal Disease Research Laboratory, T. pallidum hemagglutination assay and IgM fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbance were positive. The patient was successfully treated with a single dose of penicillin G. Discussion/Conclusion: Syphilitic hepatitis is scarcely reported in the literature. Secondary syphilis with mild hepatitis rarely leads to hepatic cytolysis and jaundice. Many signs of secondary syphilis including syphilitic hepatitis may be linked to immune responses initiated during early infection. Over the past decades, evidence has emerged on the importance of innate and adaptive cellular immune responses in the immunopathogenesis of syphilis. This report raises awareness to a clinical entity that should be considered in patients at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, who present with intestinal discomfort or liver dysfunction, as it is a treatable and fully reversible condition.