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№2' 2015

DERMATOVENEREOLOGY

International Medical Journal, Vol. 21., Iss. 2, 2015, P. 75−78.

A CASE OF SYPHILITIC AORTITIS COMPLICATED WITH AORTIC ANEURYSM

Kharkiv Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Ukraine

Syphilis of the cardiovascular system is a late form of syphilis and usually occurs 5−40 years after the infection. Syphilitic aortitis occurs in 70−80 % of untreated patients after primary infection, while 10 % of these patients have serious cardiovascular complications such as aortic aneurysm, aortic stenosis of coronary and aortic valves. Syphilitic aortitis may manifest by symptomatic chest pain or symptoms of compression of the surrounding organs, but asymptomatic variant is also possible. Syphilitic aortitis complicated by aortic aneurysm is often found on chest x−ray or rupture of the aorta, and as a consequence, death (2−6). We present a case of syphilitic aortitis complicated by aortic aneurism in a 55 year−old woman, resident of Kharkov, pensioner, a former athlete identified by cardiosurgeouns. For 16 years the patient did not seek medical help, was ill only with ARVI. She complained of chest pain, inability to sleep on the back. CT revealed the signs of fusiform aneurysmal expansion with parietal thrombosis. The serological screening for syphilis PB 1:20, RPGA, ELISA for syphilis, RMP 1:8 were positive. The patient received 2 courses of antisyphilis specific treatment, she was discharged with improvement (chest pain disappeared), and with recommendations for further observation and treatment in cardiac surgery.

Key words: syphilitic aortitis, aortic aneurysm, syphilis.