Clinical picture and course of syphilis in patients with alcoholism
Grebennikov V.A.; Vedernikova A.K.; Rezanovich V.V.; Stepanova P.A.; Tugarinova A.V., 1980: Clinical picture and course of syphilis in patients with alcoholism. Vestnik Dermatologii i Venerologii (4): 72-74
A comparative study of the clinical pattern and course of syphilis in subjects with accompanying chronic alcoholism or stable drinking habits and those without alcohol abuse revealed significant differences. Syphilitic patients with chronic alcohol intoxication had a more severe course of syphilitic infection manifested by frequent development of ulcerative and multiple chancres, a shorter period between the appearance of the hard chancre and positive Wassermann test, prevalence of eruptions in the buccal mucosa, syphilitic alopecia, pigmented syphilid and pathological changes in the CSF. The above features of the clinical pattern and course of syphilis in alcoholic patients and those with excessive drinking are probably explained by lowered nonspecific factors of immunity in these subjects. Syphilitic patients of this contingent should be given nonspecific therapy. Epidemiological chains are difficult to follow in such patients so preventive treatment of their environmental contacts should be extended.Other references