[Syphilitic aortitis. Experience of an internal medicine unit].
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.
Revest
M
M
Service de médecine interne, hôpital Sud, 16, boulevard de Bulgarie, 35203 Rennes cedex 02, France.
Decaux
O
O
Frouget
T
T
Cazalets
C
C
Cador
B
B
Jégo
P
P
Grosbois
B
B
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*