Secondary Syphilitic Arthritis
The ease with which a subacute arthritis of this nature may be confounded with “gout” or “rheumatism” calls for comment. We have met with cases despatched to spas under this impression. The customary intermittent fever of secondary syphilis is usually present. The detection of periosteal nodes in addition to the joint swellings should arouse suspicion, while the presence of secondary syphilides and the rapid response to specific treatment will be confirmatory.
I well recollect some years ago a young farmer being sent to me by a medical man as suffering from gouty arthritis with gouty eczema. The eruption was a typical roseola, and the condition promptly cleared up under anti-syphilitic treatment.