# Oral Manifestations of Secondary Syphilis

**Authors:** Julie Rohban, Georgio Saad, Georges Khalil, Wassim Manhal

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.103185 · 2026-02-07

## TL;DR

This paper discusses a case of secondary syphilis with oral symptoms, highlighting the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment.

## Contribution

The paper presents a specific clinical case emphasizing the diagnostic challenges of oral manifestations in secondary syphilis.

## Key findings

- Oral lesions in secondary syphilis can resemble other conditions, making diagnosis difficult.
- Intramuscular benzathine penicillin G effectively resolved the patient's lesions.

## Abstract

Syphilis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum. It has resurfaced over the past years and remains a significant global public health problem. Its clinical presentation varies by stage, and oral lesions can be difficult to diagnose because they often resemble other pathologies. We report the case of a 28-year-old man presenting with indolent oral lesions, hoarseness, and dysphagia. A firm right-sided lymph node was also noted. Serological tests confirmed secondary syphilis. The patient received intramuscular benzathine penicillin G, leading to complete resolution of the lesions. Oral manifestations of secondary syphilis can present with diverse and nonspecific lesions, requiring careful clinical evaluation and appropriate serological testing for accurate diagnosis.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** benzathine penicillin G (PubChem CID 15232)
- **Diseases:** syphilis (MONDO:0005976), secondary syphilis (MONDO:0002897)
- **Species:** Treponema pallidum (taxon 160)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** Secondary Syphilis (MESH:C536773), Syphilis (MESH:D013587), infectious disease (MESH:D003141), hoarseness (MESH:D006685), Oral (MESH:D020820), dysphagia (MESH:D003680)
- **Chemicals:** benzathine penicillin G (MESH:D010401)
- **Species:** Treponema pallidum (species) [taxon 160], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12972797/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12972797