Lues Maligna in a Chronic Alcoholic Patient

• Published in: Journal of dermatology Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 217 - 219
• Main Authors: Bayramgürler, Dilek, Bilen, Nilgün, Yıldız, Kürşat, Şikar, Aysun, Yavuz, Metin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-03-2005
• Subjects: Adult; Alcoholism - complications; Alcoholism - immunology; Biopsy, Needle; chronic alcoholism; Chronic Disease; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Immunohistochemistry; lues maligna; Male; Penicillin G - therapeutic use; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Syphilis Serodiagnosis; Syphilis, Cutaneous - complications; Syphilis, Cutaneous - drug therapy; Syphilis, Cutaneous - pathology; Treatment Outcome; Treponema pallidum - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 0385-2407; 1346-8138
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1346-8138.2005.tb00749.x

Lues maligna, which is characterized by noduloulcerative lesions, is a rare form of secondary syphilis. It is mainly seen in either HIV‐infected or malnourished patients suffering from a depression in immunity. We presented a chronic alcoholic, HIV negative male patient with noduloulcerative lesions diagnosed as lues maligna based on his skin eruptions, results of serologic tests, and, histopathologic findings. We believe that chronic alcoholism could be the cause of immunosuppression in our case and wanted to emphasize the possibility of an association between lues maligna and chronic alcoholism.