Awareness of the spectrum of clinical manifestations of syphilis, especially uncommon changes, is essential for diagnosis and effective management of patients. A 48-year-old Han businessman presented to the ear, nose and throat surgeons with an eight-week history of epigastric pain, a four-week history of a widespread non-itchy rash including the scrotal skin and a one-week history of tinnitus and dizziness. On examination, he was afebrile with widespread lymphadenopathy and a maculopapular rash affecting his trunk and scrotum. His abdomen was soft but tender in the epigastrium. The Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay result was positive, and the rapid plasma reagin was 1:2. Gastroscopy showed ulcers in the gastric antrum and pylorus. Histopathological examination of gastric mucosa lesions showed a large amount of lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate detected in the lamina propria of the gastric mucosa. The T. pallidum Liferiver real time polymerase chain reaction kit assay performed on specimens from skin lesions and gastric mucosal tissue were positive. The patient was treated with intravenous sodium penicillin followed by intramuscular benzathine penicillin. On the fourth day of the treatment, the rash, epigastric pain and lymphadenopathy subsided. Two weeks after treatment, the tinnitus alleviated and vertigo disappeared.
Keywords: Syphilis; epigastric pain; gastritis.