Current Infectious Disease Reports

, Volume 6, Issue 1, pp 72–82 | Cite as

Managing syphilis in the HIV-infected patient

  • Christopher S. Hall
  • Jeffrey D. Klausner
  • Gail A. Bolan
Article

Abstract

Syphilis has re-emerged in the United States and elsewhere, and clinicians caring for HIV-infected patients are challenged with syphilis diagnosis and management decisions. HIV alters the natural history of syphilis to an extent that is poorly understood, and initial presentation may be more varied in coinfected patients. Although commonly available diagnostic assays for syphilis should be interpreted as usual, such tests rely on antibody measurement and may be an imperfect indicator of active infection. Assessment of all available clinical and risk behavior data remains critically important in the diagnosis of syphilis in coinfected patients. Treatment of syphilis in such patients requires stage-appropriate therapy, with careful serologic monitoring to assess response. Clinicians must have heightened appreciation of the role of frequent risk assessment, serologic screening, symptom recognition, and follow-up of treated patients, as well as an understanding of public health functions such as sex partner treatment and communicable disease reporting.

Keywords

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Syphilis Sexually Transmitted Disease 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Current Science Inc. 2004

Authors and Affiliations

  • Christopher S. Hall
    • 1
  • Jeffrey D. Klausner
  • Gail A. Bolan
  1. 1.Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Branch, California Department of Health ServicesUniversity of California San FranciscoBerkeleyUSA

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