Overlapping Primary and Secondary Syphilis in HIV Patient
TLDR Timely treatment with antibiotics and antiretrovirals can significantly improve health in HIV patients with syphilis.
This case study reported on a 55-year-old HIV-positive man with overlapping primary and secondary syphilis, highlighting the varied clinical manifestations due to compromised immune responses. The patient, with a history of multiple sexual partners and infrequent condom use, presented with non-scarring alopecia, a painless ulcer, and various skin lesions. Diagnostic tests confirmed syphilis and HIV, with a low CD4 T-cell count of 111 cells/µL. Treatment with benzathine penicillin G and antiretroviral drugs led to significant improvement, as evidenced by a non-reactive VDRL test and an increased CD4 count of 325 cells/µL after six months. This case demonstrated that prompt antibiotic and antiretroviral treatment could effectively improve both clinical and serological outcomes in HIV patients with syphilis co-infection.
