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83-Year-Old's Rare Syphilis Diagnosis Stuns Medical Experts

11/6/2025

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Summary

Story summary

An 83-year-old man in Belgium was diagnosed with a rare form of secondary syphilis.
Despite claims of monogamy and sexual inactivity, he presented with severe itchiness, joint pain, and malaise.
His medical history included facial paralysis and elevated liver enzymes, previously attributed to a viral infection.
After extensive testing ruled out several viruses, doctors documented the diagnostic process in a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Story summary

An 83-year-old man in Belgium was diagnosed with a rare form of secondary syphilis.
Despite claims of monogamy and sexual inactivity, he presented with severe itchiness, joint pain, and malaise.
His medical history included facial paralysis and elevated liver enzymes, previously attributed to a viral infection.
After extensive testing ruled out several viruses, doctors documented the diagnostic process in a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.