Abstract
A 65-year-old man was undergoing thorough examination for his pericardial pain and was found to have a tumor in the glans, numerous lymphadenopathy, and abnormal lung shadows. Since these lesions showed fluorine-18-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake by positron emission tomography (PET), he had been suspected to have penile cancer and multiple metastasis. He was referred to our department for histological examination of his penile tumor. A physical examination showed that a red nodule with erosive surface on the glans penis. A histopathological examination showed epidermal hyperplasia and dense cellular infiltration with numerous plasma cells in the dermis. The rapid plasma reagin(RPR) and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination test revealed(TPHA) 706.5 R.U. and TPHA 20480-fold, respectively. Taken these together, a diagnosis of secondary syphilis was made. After oral administration of amoxicillin was started, the penile nodule, the lymph node swelling, and lung abnormal shadows were subsided. Dermatologists should be aware that the clinical presentation of secondary syphilis may resemble penile cancer, and that multiple lymphadenopathy and pulmonary lesions may occur, and that these lesions can show FDG uptake by FDG-PET.
