PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rajashri Veeresh Patil
AU  - Iain Stephenson
AU  - Cathy J Richards
AU  - Yvette Griffin
TI  - Rectal cancer mimic: a rare case of syphilitic proctitis
AID  - 10.1136/bcr-2020-235522
DP  - 2020 Dec 01
TA  - BMJ Case Reports
PG  - e235522
VI  - 13
IP  - 12
4099  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/13/12/e235522.short
4100  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/13/12/e235522.full
SO  - BMJ Case Reports2020 Dec 01; 13
AB  - Syphilitic proctitis is a rare presentation of sexually transmitted infection that poses a diagnostic challenge as it mimics rectal cancer clinically, radiologically and endoscopically. We report a case of a 66-year-old male patient with a background of HIV infection presenting with obstructive bowel symptoms and initial diagnosis of rectal cancer on CT. Sigmoidoscopy and histopathology were non-diagnostic. A diagnosis of secondary syphilis was suspected after obtaining sexual history and diagnostic serology, avoiding planned surgical intervention.