{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T20:00:14Z","timestamp":1787169614938,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Syphilis, a chronic infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum, progresses through three arbitrary stages resulting in varied clinical manifestations. The aberrant presentation of syphilis in the secondary stage without any clinical evidence of the primary stage is referred to as syphilis d\u2019 embl\u00e9e. Here we report a series of six cases in male patients. Five out of six patients presented with multiple, non-pruritic, macular palmar, and\/or plantar lesions. One patient had typical facial and perianal lesions of condyloma lata. The diagnosis was confirmed by a reactive VDRL with titers ranging from 1:16 to 1:64 and a positive Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA). Syphilis being a great imitator can present in different ways without a typical history of primary chancre following sexual exposure, and can mimic many dermatological disorders in its secondary stage. Unless physicians have a high index of suspicion, the diagnosis may be missed. Early identification aids in prompt initiation of therapy and prevention of disease progression to chronic stages and systemic manifestations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_997_21","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,14]],"date-time":"2022-03-14T01:01:05Z","timestamp":1647219665000},"page":"1216-1220","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Syphilis D\u2019 Embl\u00e9e: A case series of the great masquerader"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Murali","family":"Narasimhan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Potheri, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mayank","family":"Lagoo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Potheri, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ramakrishnan","family":"Ramachandran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Potheri, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Soosai Donald","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Potheri, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1-20240828","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1007\/s12105-009-0127-0","article-title":"Syphilis:The renaissance of an old disease with oral 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