Isolated Palmar Rash as the Presentation of Secondary Syphilis: Syphilis Continues to Fascinate Physicians

ABS TRACT Syphilis is considered one of the greatest imitators which can mimic any skin disease. Keen examination together with a sound brain and a high degree of suspicion is required for its diagnosis. Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease caused by spirochete Treponema pallidum pallidum, was more common during the Second World War. Later, as the human immunodeficiency virus cases increased, there was increased,incidence of all sexually transmitted diseases including syphilis as they facilitate transmission of each other. Syphilis manifests with cutaneous as well as systemic features and is divided into several stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary), with different signs and symptoms associated with each stage. In this article, we report an unusual case of secondary syphilis from Saudi Arabia manifesting with palmar rash without any systemic manifestations.