Syphilis and the COVID-19 pandemic: Did the lockdown stop risky sexual behavior?

Restrictive measures to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic might produce different effects on other infective diseases, especially those affecting the most intimate sphere of sexuality. The epidemiology of syphilis could reflect the consequences of whether people are avoiding or not risky behaviors. To understand the course of syphilis during the COVID-19 outbreak, we performed a retrospective observational study of all new diagnoses observed at the STDs Service of the Dermatology Clinic at Cagliari, part of the Italian sentinel surveillance system.

Pseudoepitheliomatous keratotic and micaceous balanitis: low-risk human papilloma virus detection in two further cases.

We report two cases of histologically documented pseudoepitheliomatous keratotic and micaceous balanitis in middle-aged male patients, which showed positivity for low-risk serotype human papillomavirus DNA. To our knowledge, only one other case has been documented. Further immunohistochemical proliferative markers were performed and compared to literature findings in penile epithelial proliferations.

Alopecia as unique clue to syphilis in a patient.

Alopecia is an uncommon manifestation of syphilis, simulating other common forms of hair-loss, but representing a crucial complaint for the patient, who might by converse have not noticed other signs and symptoms of the disease. Esthetic issues undervaluation might prolong illness, and postpone appropriate treatment. A 42-year-old patient, HIV negative, presented with a 2-month history of progressive generalized thinning of the hairs and small non-scarring irregular alopecia patches of the parietal-occipital areas of the scalp.