Early malignant syphilis observed during infection and reinfection in the same patient.

Malignant syphilitic infections occurring in the same woman at an interval of 38 months is reported. The first infection was diagnosed as secondary papulopustular and ecthymatous syphilis. The reinfection was more severe, taking the form of secondary ulcerative syphilis with fever, general deterioration, and loss of weight. Numerous Treponema pallidum were present in the serum expressed from the papulopustular lesions during the first infection, but they were absent from the secretion expressed from the margins of the ulcerative symphilides during the reinfection. Many treponemes were present in the plasma cell infiltrates in histopathological sections of the biopsy specimens taken from the margin of the ulcers.