[Analysis of 1983-1991 Leipzig University Dermatology Clinic observed cases of syphilis].

A total of 1380 patients with syphilis were diagnosed and treated from January 1983 to December 1991 at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at Leipzig University in West Saxon, Federal Republic of Germany where the population is 1.4 million. The incidence of syphilis increased gradually from 1983 to 1989 and then decreased again. The number of recent cases of syphilis was almost twice as high as latent syphilis cases (63:37%). The vast majority of cases suffered from early syphilis. In almost half the source of infection was casual contacts (44%); in one-third it was a stable partners (30%); about 6% were homosexuals and about 4% were prostitutes. Among the primary syphilis cases multiple chancres were seen in 16%. In 31% of cases, the ulcus durum was extragenital. Among the secondary syphilis cases macular and maculopapular exanthema were the commonest features (51%), followed by palmoplantar syphilis (5%), condylomata lata (5%), angina specifica (3%) and papular exanthema (3%). However, in 30% of the cases multiple skin features were observed. Secondary syphilis with persistent chancres were seen in 12%. Five percent of the patients were suffering from the second to the fifth reinfection in their life, and again 5% of the syphilis cases were detected during pregnancy. Only two patients had an HIV infection, 10% suffered from gonorrhea and 10% from trichomoniasis, 12% from chlamydial infection, 4% from genital warts and 8% from herpes simplex genitalis at the same time. The therapy of choice was penicillin. In 0.3% an allergy to penicillin was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)