{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T04:54:53Z","timestamp":1776401693250,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776384000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    We describe a case of secondary syphilitic alopecia following non-penetrative sexual contact that was initially misdiagnosed as alopecia areata. A 26-year-old unmarried male presented with moth-eaten patchy alopecia in the occipital region. Prior topical treatment for presumed alopecia areata at another facility was ineffective. The patient reported repeated episodes of mutual masturbation with a female massage worker two months earlier, and he noticed a small erythematous papule on the penile frenulum thereafter. Serological testing revealed a rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titer of 1:32 and a positive\n                    <jats:italic>Treponema pallidum<\/jats:italic>\n                    particle agglutination assay (TPPA), confirming syphilis. The final diagnoses were secondary syphilis and syphilitic alopecia. Treatment consisted of benzathine penicillin G, 2.4 million units intramuscularly weekly for 3 weeks. Within 3 months, complete hair regrowth was observed without scarring.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1750303","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T04:14:04Z","timestamp":1776399244000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Case Report: Secondary syphilitic alopecia following non-penetrative sexual contact: a case of initial misdiagnosis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yuyu","family":"Deng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Dermatology Institute of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"The Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Nanchang University","place":["Nanchang, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Changxia","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Dermatology Institute of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"The Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Nanchang University","place":["Nanchang, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lifang","family":"Cheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Dermatology Institute of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"The Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Nanchang University","place":["Nanchang, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shaoheng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Dermatology Institute of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"The Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Nanchang University","place":["Nanchang, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaohua","family":"Tao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Hospital of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"Dermatology Institute of Jiangxi Province","place":["Nanchang, China"]},{"name":"The Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Nanchang University","place":["Nanchang, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","first-page":"361","article-title":"Alopecia in association with sexually transmitted disease: a 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