Evaluation of Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of the Patients with Syphilis Who Applied to the Dermatology Clinic of a Tertiary Referral Hospital Between the Years 2019-2023

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographic and clinical features of syphilis patients followed up in a tertiary referral hospital, and thus to provide current contributions to epidemiological data related to syphilis. 
 Material and Methods: The demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings, and treatments received of all patients diagnosed with syphilis and followed up in our clinic between January 2019 and June 2023 were evaluated retrospectively.
 Results: We included a total of 118 patients, 24 women and 94 men. The average age of the patients was 36.56±5.1 years. Forty-one of the patients (34.7%) were married, 56 were single (47.4%) and the marital status of 21 (17.8%) was unknown. Sixty-two of the patients (52.5%) had primary syphilis , 29 (24.6%) had secondary syphilis and 27 (22.9%) had latent syphilis. When the patients' admission symptoms were evaluated, genital chancre was found in 58 (49.1%), roseola syphilitica in 24 (20.3%), mucous plaque in 11 (9.3%), condyloma lata in 7 (5.9%) and syphilis papulosa psoriasiformis in 3 (2.5%) patients. Twenty-five patients (21.1%) were asymptomatic. Transmission from spouse was in 14 (11.9%) patients while suspicious sexual contact was in 77 (65.3%) patients. The source of transmission was unknown in 27 (22.9%) patients. Response to treatment was obtained in all of the patients who were not lost to follow up. Twenty-two of the patients (18.64%) were HIV positive. 
 Conclusion: Rising syphilis incidence which is observed globally in the recent years indicates the need to raise the level of public awareness about the disease and its transmission routes. In addition, since it can mimic many diseases, it should always be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially in patients with a history of suspicious sexual contact. It is necessary to investigate other sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV, in patients diagnosed with syphilis.