Pace J L, Csonka G W
Br J Vener Dis. 1984 Oct;60(5):293-7. doi: 10.1136/sti.60.5.293.
A total of 2515 people attending a large military hospital in Saudi Arabia was studied clinically, serologically, and (when appropriate) radiologically for evidence of treponematosis. The indications are that non-venereal endemic syphilis (bejel) is prevalent among the nomadic communities living in rural areas. In contrast, venereal syphilis is much less common, and is found almost exclusively in urban populations. Some of the high risk regions for bejel have been identified, and many people from these locations complained of persistent pain in the legs, which was often associated with radiological evidence of osteoperiostitis of the long bones. Bejel also seems to have become clinically "attenuated" within the last 30 years, with the majority of seroreactors having latent disease. A hypothesis suggesting a reason for this change is put forward, and ways of controlling the infection are outlined.
对沙特阿拉伯一家大型军事医院的2515人进行了临床、血清学及（适当时）放射学检查，以寻找梅毒感染的证据。结果表明，非性病性地方性梅毒（比杰尔梅毒）在生活在农村地区的游牧社区中很普遍。相比之下，性病性梅毒则要少见得多，几乎只在城市人口中发现。已确定了一些比杰尔梅毒的高风险地区，许多来自这些地区的人抱怨腿部持续疼痛，这通常与长骨骨膜骨炎的放射学证据有关。在过去30年里，比杰尔梅毒在临床上似乎也已“减弱”，大多数血清反应阳性者患有潜伏性疾病。本文提出了一个解释这一变化原因的假说，并概述了控制感染的方法。
