[Differential diagnosis of specific gastric lesions in early syphilis patients with helicobacter infection].

AIM: To evaluate differential-diagnostic significance of different clinical signs, endoscopic and serological studies in making diagnosis of early gastric syphilis (EGS) in patients with helicobacter infection.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Thirty patients were hospitalized with diagnosis of gastric and/or duodenal ulcer. Helicobacter pylori was identified morphologically or with a rapid urease test. Syphilis was rejected when microprecipitation reaction was negative and confirmed with Wassermann reaction. The patients received standard treatment including a course of eradication therapy.

RESULTS

Endoscopic examination discovered single and multiple ulcers in 25 and 5 patients, respectively, located in the stomach and duodenum. A rapid test for syphilis produced negative and positive results in 28 and 2 patients, respectively. Twenty two patients tolerated eradication therapy well. Positive results were achieved in 19 (84.6%) patients. Six patients had side effects (pruritus, urticaria, dyspepsia) on eradication treatment day 2-3. Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (elevated body temperature 38-38.6 degrees C) and roseola eruption were observed in 2 (6.7%) patients with positive serological reactions for syphilis on the first day of eradication therapy.

CONCLUSION

Diagnostic criteria of EGS are the following: serologically confirmed manifest or latent syphilis, poor effect of standard antiulcer treatment, rapid elimination of the disease symptoms in antisyphilis therapy and positive changes in pathological alterations in gastric mucosa.