Ruptured Syphilitic Aneurysm: A Cause of Sudden Death in a Man with Human Immunodeficiency Coinfection.
autopsy
forensic pathology
forensic science
human immunodeficiency virus
men who have sex with men
sudden death
syphilitic aneurysm
Journal
Journal of forensic sciences
ISSN: 1556-4029
Titre abrégé: J Forensic Sci
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0375370
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Sep 2019
Sep 2019
Historique:
received:
28
12
2018
revised:
22
02
2019
accepted:
27
02
2019
pubmed:
21
3
2019
medline:
18
12
2019
entrez:
21
3
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema palladium, is experiencing a worldwide resurgence. The risk of syphilis infection is particularly high in men who have sex with men (MSM), especially those who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive. Untreated syphilis can lead to rare but severe late-stage complications, including syphilitic aortitis. Herein, we present an autopsy case of a ruptured thoracic aneurysm that resulted from an undetected case of syphilitic aortitis in an HIV-positive Japanese MSM with undiagnosed syphilis. Although no syphilitic skin lesions were observed on the body, anatomical changes consistent with a syphilitic etiology were present at the site of the rupture, including medial aortic scarring with "tree-bark"-like atherosclerotic plaque. In addition, heart blood was positive for T. palladium in a latex agglutination test. This case highlights for forensic pathologists the importance of recognizing syphilis as a possible underlying cause of sudden death among HIV-positive MSM.
Identifiants
pubmed: 30893469
doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.14046
doi:
Types de publication
Case Reports
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1555-1558Informations de copyright
© 2019 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
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