Liver dysfunction in patients with early syphilis: a retrospective study

• DOI: 10.1007/s10156-012-0440-5
• Publication Date: 2012-06-12T03:31:57Z
• Authors: Eisuke Adachi; Tomohiko Koibuchi; Michio Okame; Hidenori Sato; Tadashi Kikuchi; Takeshi Fujii; Michiko Koga; Aikichi Iwamoto; Hitomi Nakamura
• Keywords: Etiology; Medical microbiology; Hepatitis C

Syphilis is one of the unrecognized etiologies of liver dysfunction. The incidence of syphilitic hepatitis is currently unknown. We conducted a retrospective study of causative agents of liver dysfunction at the time of diagnosis of early syphilis. Our study shows that 39 % (44/112) of early syphilis patients have liver enzyme abnormalities at the time of diagnosis and that 2.7 % (3/112) of patients are diagnosed with syphilitic hepatitis. Clinicians should include syphilitic hepatitis in the differential diagnosis for those patients with sexually transmitted diseases presenting with liver enzyme abnormalities.