日本性感染症学会誌 Journal of Japanese Society for Sexually Transmitted Infections

We report a case of hearing loss caused by inner ear syphilis. A 65-year-old man visited our hospital for diagnosis of syphilis upon a positive outcome from a serum test performed during his medical checkup. The patient reported hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears for the past month. He also suffered from a swollen penis prepuce and a mild case of full-body erythema. A diagnosis of secondary syphilis was made. We diagnosed inner ear syphilis from the results of a blood test, cerebrospinal fluid examination, hearing test, and inner ear MRI. Intravascular penicillin G potassium was administrated for 14 days, but his hearing did not improve. Hearing loss caused by inner ear syphilis should be treated as early as possible. This case demonstrates the importance of the early and correct diagnosis of syphilis patients.