Rheumatology (Jul 2017)

Aortic aneurysm in a patient with syphilis-related spinal pain and paraplegia

  • Daniel Brito de Araujo,
  • Danise Senna Oliveira,
  • Rodrigo Kraft Rovere,
  • Umberto Lopes de Oliveira Filho

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5114/reum.2017.68916
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 55, no. 3
pp. 151 – 153

Abstract

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The tertiary stage of syphilis is nowadays extremely rare, showing predilection for the cardiovascular and nervous systems. A 57-year-old Caucasian man sought medical assistance due to back pain that evolved to paraplegia of the lower limbs. A thoracic CT scan demonstrated an important aneurysmatic lesion of the descending thoracic aorta causing erosion of the vertebral bodies and VDRL and FTA-abs positivity. Although rare, syphilitic aortitis, the hallmark of cardiovascular syphilis, should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with thoracic aneurysm when in the absence of classic risk factors for atherosclerosis, especially in cases that progress with erosion of vertebral bodies.

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