Syphilitic Alopecia: A Report of 5 Cases and a Review of the Literature

The document detailed 5 cases of syphilitic alopecia (SA), a rare condition associated with syphilis, affecting 4% of patients. The subjects were men aged 31 to 46 who engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors. They presented with nonscarring alopecia, mostly in a moth-eaten pattern on the parieto-occipital scalp, except for one with diffuse alopecia and erythematous scaling lesions. Spirochetes were identified in the hair follicles of 2 patients through immunohistochemical staining of skin biopsies. All patients improved with penicillin G benzathine treatment. The study highlighted the need for dermatologists to recognize SA for prompt diagnosis and treatment, and it reviewed the clinical presentation, diagnosis, histology, and management of SA.