Changing trends in acquired syphilis at a Tertiary Care Center of North India

Prevalence and pattern of acquired syphilis are changing in India in recent years because of good laboratory diagnosis and treatment, but it still remains a major public health problem with significant regional variations.

To study the changing trend of acquired syphilis in a Tertiary Care Center of North India.

Retrospective analysis of all the cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) registered in the Skin and VD Department of PGIMS, Rohtak from January 2008 to December 2012 was done. Complete epidemiological, clinical, and investigational data were recorded and analyzed for changing trends in prevalence, pattern and clinical presentations of syphilis.

Total of 1462 cases attended the STI clinic from January 2008 to December 2012. A total of 124 patients were venereal diseases research laboratory reactive, of which 33 (2.25%) were false positive cases, and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination was reactive in 91 cases (6.22%). Totally, 91 (6.22%) cases were diagnosed as syphilis. Of 91 cases, 78 (85.71%) were males and 13 (14.29%) were females. Primary syphilis was diagnosed in 21 (13.08%), secondary in 38 (41.76%), and latent in 32 (35.16%) patients. 4 (10.53%) of the secondary syphilis were having asymptomatic rash, 14 (36.84%) had condyloma lata and 17 (44.74%) had genital ulcer with cutaneous rash. Mixed infection was detected in 7 patients. 8 (8.79%) were human immunodeficiency virus positive.

Although our study indicates a decreasing trend in the prevalence of syphilis in last 5 years, there is a rise in latent syphilis as compared to primary syphilis demanding steps to increase awareness among general population.