Syphilitic Proctitis Mimicking Rectal Cancer

Clinical Image

Austin J Surg. 2018; 5(1): 1123.

Syphilitic Proctitis Mimicking Rectal Cancer

Chen HW, TaLee C and Chang KC*

Department of Pathology, National Cheng Kung University and Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

*Corresponding author: Kung-Chao Chang, Department of Pathology, National Cheng Kung University and Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

Received: December 06, 2017; Accepted: January 12, 2018; Published: February 08, 2018

Clinical Image

A 27-year-old homosexual man presented with a 2-week history of intermittent anal bleeding after defecation. Sigmoidoscopy (Figure A) revealed a protruding mass (4x6 cm) with fragile mucosa at the rectum, 5 cm above anal verge.Biopsy was done.Histology (Figure B) reveals a diffuse chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate composed of many plasma cells in the colonic lamina propria and submucosa. The dense plasma cells raised the possibility of syphilis. Immunohistochemical staining (Figure C) shows diffuse positivity for spirochete. Consequently, the diagnosis was syphilitic proctitis. Then, he was receivedpenicillin G benzathine therapy.His boyfriend was diagnosed with primary syphilis in genital area later.