83-year-old man married 50 years nearly stumps doctors with surprise STI

In the end, his combination of rash, malaise, liver and kidney problems, facial paralysis, and swelling all fit with syphilis. However, syphilis that affects the liver is rare, occurring in less than 10 percent of cases, which made the diagnosis particularly difficult.

Doctors think the infection was likely in the second stage. In the first stage, people just develop a chancre at the site of the infection. The chancre develops usually around a month after an exposure, is painless,…