2020 Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages 156-160
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by an infection of the microorganism Treponema pallidum. Herein, we report a case of second-stage pharyngeal syphilis. A 62-year-old male presented at our hospital with a complaint of throat pain and right cervical masses. Physical examination revealed a white ulcer on the mucosa of the right tonsil, which was suggestive of a malignant disease involving the tonsil. A tonsil biopsy showed endometrial hyperplasia rich in plasma cells and the presence of syphilis stained with anti-spirochete antibody. Additional serological tests showed high RPR, TPHA, and FTA-ABS titers. Considering these findings, the patient was diagnosed with secondary syphilis involving the tonsil. After treatment with amoxicillin, the lesion disappeared.
The number of patients affected by oral or pharyngeal syphilis has been increasing in recent years in Japan. Therefore, in addition to other specialists, otolaryngologists need to consider the possibility of this disease when medically examining patients with a chief complaint of pharyngeal pain.
