title: Solitary frontal ulcer: A syphilitic gumma.
abstract: We report the case of a 30-year-old woman presenting with a single, deep, asymptomatic frontal ulcer that had developed in the previous two months without preceding trauma. Blood tests revealed reactive Rapid Plasma Reagin and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assays. The diagnosis of syphilitic gumma was confirmed after histological analysis of the ulcer border. No other manifestations of late syphilis were detected. Ulcer healing was observed after treatment with benzathine penicillin and there was progressive reduction of follow-up serum RPR titers. The relevance of this case arises from its unusual presentation in a previously healthy immunocompetent individual.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Dermatology and Venereology, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal. pedro.andrade@portugalmail.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mariano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014210:Treponema pallidum
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine