Cervical Syphilitic Lymphadenitis in Initially Suspected Malignant Disease

A woman presented to our hospital with cervical lymph node enlargement and was suspected of having a malignancy, most likely lymphoma. Consequently, we scheduled a lymph node biopsy; however, additional hematologic rapid plasma reagin and treponema pallidum hemagglutination tests were positive. This case was challenging to diagnose as the only symptom of syphilis was enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Therefore, syphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with cervical lymphadenopathy.