title: [Syphilitic aortitis. Experience of an internal medicine unit].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infectious aortitis remains a rare disease. It is characterized by an endarteritis of infectious origin generally followed by the development of a so called mycotic aneurysm. Those infectious aneurysms account for 0.5 to 1.3% of all aortic aneurysms. Of the infectious agents, Treponema pallidum has a particular place. Cardiovascular syphilitic infection was very common at the beginning of the XX(th) century with a prevalence of 6.9% of all autopsies. In 1950-1960, the prevalence had decreased to less than 1%. Since 1990, syphilis was considered as disappeared.
  
  
  METHODS
  we report syphilitic aortitis in four patients. Diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis are detailed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A syphilitic infection of the aorta should be looked for in every patient suffering from an inflammatory or infectious disease of aorta.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine interne, hôpital Sud, 16, boulevard de Bulgarie, 35203 Rennes cedex 02, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Revest
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Decaux
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frouget
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cazalets
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cador
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jégo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grosbois
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013589:Syphilis, Cardiovascular / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*