“ A Night with Venus , a Lifetime with Mercury ” Syphilis – The Overlooked Disease

Syphilis is a notifiable Sexually-Transmitted Disease (STD) caused by the anaerobic spirochete Treponema Pallidum. Untreated syphilis not only causes severe medical complications: the disease also facilitates the transmission of HIV in cases of unprotected sex. Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) constitute a high-risk group. Syphilis is still shrouded in stigmatization despite a low-cost treatment with antibiotics. The oral cavity is the most common extragenital site for primary syphilis, but the disease is often overlooked or misdiagnosed as an asymptomatic, nonspecific oral ulceration. Through early diagnosis, the dentist plays an important role in reducing the risk of transmission of both syphilis and HIV. An overview with focus on the oral manifestations of syphilis is presented with an illustrative case.

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