Jakarta, ThedailyID — Doctors in Belgium diagnosed an 83-year-old man with a rare form of syphilis after he visited an emergency department complaining of severe itching and a persistent skin rash.
The man sought emergency care after weeks of recurring hospital visits. He experienced intense itching, red patches, and scaly skin on his lower legs.
Doctors found his motor function, sensation, reflexes, coordination, and gait were all normal. However, they continued investigating his medical history.
The patient revealed that he had unprotected sex with multiple partners during his military service decades ago. He also recalled receiving treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), although he could not remember the exact diagnosis.
Doctors first tested him for HIV and tuberculosis, but both results came back negative.
They then detected Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, confirming an active infection.
According to Live Science, the patient also showed several unusual symptoms, including a widespread rash, fatigue, abnormal liver function, elevated protein levels in his urine, swollen legs, facial drooping, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Doctors ultimately diagnosed him with secondary syphilis accompanied by early neurosyphilis, a condition in which the bacteria spread to the nervous system.
The case stood out because syphilis rarely affects the kidneys and liver.
Secondary syphilis also typically develops within the first year after an untreated infection. It is uncommon for the condition to appear years later.
During the primary stage, patients usually develop a painless sore around the mouth or genitals. If left untreated, a rash and other symptoms often follow within several months.
Doctors treated the patient with a single penicillin injection before confirming nervous system involvement.
They then administered intravenous penicillin for 14 days, the standard treatment for neurosyphilis.
The medical team also prescribed antihistamines to relieve the severe itching and diuretics to reduce swelling in his legs.
After one month, the patient’s swelling had improved. His liver function and urine test results also returned to normal.
