{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T16:11:36Z","timestamp":1787242296650,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,18]],"date-time":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1692316800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The diagnosis of syphilis can be challenging for dermatologists and dermatopathologists. In particular, secondary syphilis can have different clinical and histopathological presentations. A granulomatous tissue response is an unusual finding in secondary syphilis. We report the case of a 77-year-old man who presented with a 4-week history of non-pruritic generalised macules, papules, nodules and plaques. Histopathologically, there was a dense perivascular and periadnexal lympho-histiocytic dermal infiltrate with non-palisading and non-caseifying epithelioid granulomas and abundant plasma cells. The diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed by serology and immunohistochemical detection of Treponema pallidum in the biopsy specimen. A brief overview of the diagnostic role of immunohistochemistry is also provided, with particular emphasis on reported cases of granulomatous secondary syphilis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens12081054","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,18]],"date-time":"2023-08-18T10:14:38Z","timestamp":1692353678000},"page":"1054","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Granulomatous Secondary Syphilis: A Case Report with a Brief Overview of the Diagnostic Role of Immunohistochemistry"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5718-7003","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Ambrogio","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0325-4316","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gerardo","family":"Cazzato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Molecular Pathology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caterina","family":"Foti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mauro","family":"Grandolfo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gisella Biagina","family":"Mennuni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gino Antonio","family":"Vena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology and Venereology Private Practice, 76121 Barletta, Italy"},{"name":"Dermatology and Venereology Private Practice, 70125 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicoletta","family":"Cassano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology and Venereology Private Practice, 76121 Barletta, Italy"},{"name":"Dermatology and Venereology Private Practice, 70125 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0860-3044","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teresa","family":"Lettini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cosimo","family":"Castronovi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vito","family":"Ingordo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Outpatients\u2019 Department of Dermatology, District n.6, Local Health Centre Taranto, 74121 Taranto, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paolo","family":"Romita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raffaele","family":"Filotico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"845","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1901593","article-title":"The Modern Epidemic of Syphilis","volume":"382","author":"Ghanem","year":"2020","journal-title":"N. 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