Tumorous syphilid

An unusual form of secondary syphilis, characterised by oozing tumours on the forehead and scalp concomitantly with plaques in the genital area, is presented. The patient was diagnosed as having secondary syphilis by dark-field examination, serologic tests for syphilis, and demonstration of spirochetes in the tissues by the immunoperoxidase technique with avidin-biotin peroxidase complex. Treatment with benzathine penicillin led to rapid resolution of the skin lesions one month later. This case of tumorous syphilid, a variant of papular syphilid, which appears not to have been described in the literature previously.