Perforation of the palate - A report of two Syphilitic Gumma cases

Syphilis has recently shown resurgence in its incidence especially in immune-compromised patients. We present two cases of tertiary syphilis in middle-aged males with large perforations in the hard and soft palates, one of which had Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) co-infection. Diagnosis was initially difficult due to non-specific features mimicking other conditions such as perforation of cocaine abuse aetiology, neoplastic conditions, sarcoi-dosis, fungal infections, bacterial infections other than Treponema pallidum and Wegeners granulomatosis. With special investigations including Anti-Treponema Immunohistochemistry and histology, however, a definitive diagnosis of syphilitic gumma was reached. Intravenous penicillin was the mainstay of management along with treatment of the underlying medical conditions. A removable acrylic obturator was used to close the oro-nasal fistula to improve swallowing and speech. Syphilis should be included as a differential diagnosis in cases of palatal perforation.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Titinchi,F, Behardien,N, Morkel,J, Opperman,J
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: The South African Dental Association (SADA) 2020
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-85162020000600008
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!