title: [Syphilitic osteitis in an HIV-negative patient].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Secondary syphilis with skeletal involvement is rare; herein we report a case concerning an HIV-negative patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the course of secondary syphilis, a 28-year-old male homosexual, HIV-negative and with no medical history, presented intense and localized headaches persisting despite three weeks of antibiotic therapy. Bone scintigraphy revealed three bone lesions evocative of syphilitic osteitis, for which prolonged antibiotic therapy was instituted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few cases of syphilitic osteitis have been described in the recent literature and these are linked to haematogenous diffusion of Treponema pallidum. Skeletal disease is suggested when febrile bone pain is present. Bone scintigraphy remains the best diagnostic tool and treatment comprises prolonged penicillin G or ceftriaxone.
authors.affiliation: Service de dermatologie, hôpital J.-Monod, groupe hospitalier du Havre, BP 24, 76083 Le Havre, France. Electronic address: c.mignard@orange.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mignard
authors.affiliation: Service de dermatologie, hôpital J.-Monod, groupe hospitalier du Havre, BP 24, 76083 Le Havre, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Litrowski
authors.affiliation: Service de dermatologie, hôpital J.-Monod, groupe hospitalier du Havre, BP 24, 76083 Le Havre, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carré
authors.affiliation: Service de dermatologie, hôpital J.-Monod, groupe hospitalier du Havre, BP 24, 76083 Le Havre, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Midhat
authors.affiliation: CNR-Syphilis, laboratoire de dermatologie, hôpital Cochin, bâtiment Gustave-Roussy, 8, rue Méchain, 75014 Paris, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dupin
authors.affiliation: Service de dermatologie, hôpital J.-Monod, groupe hospitalier du Havre, BP 24, 76083 Le Havre, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bravard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010000:Osteitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Bone scintigraphy; Immunocompetent; Immunocompétent; Osteitis; Ostéite; Scintigraphie osseuse; Secondary syphilis; Syphilis secondaire