Rare isolated oral manifestations of secondary syphilis in an adolescent.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum. The disease can manifest clinically through 3 different stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary. This report describes an uncommon case of secondary syphilis in a 16-year-old boy who showed only oral clinical manifestations. The infection was diagnosed through serologic tests. Treatment with intramuscular benzathine penicillin G led to complete remission of the oral lesions 3 weeks after initiation of treatment. The current case demonstrates the importance of laboratory tests in establishing an accurate diagnosis of syphilis and thereby avoiding unnecessary biopsies.