2025 ICD-10-CM code A51.32
Syphilitic alopecia.
The medical necessity for diagnosing and treating syphilitic alopecia stems from the fact that it is a manifestation of syphilis, a treatable sexually transmitted infection. Untreated syphilis can lead to serious long-term health complications, affecting the cardiovascular and nervous systems.Therefore, prompt diagnosis and treatment of syphilis, including its cutaneous manifestations like syphilitic alopecia, are essential to prevent these complications.
Diagnosis of syphilitic alopecia involves a combination of patient history, physical examination (including examination of the scalp and skin for characteristic lesions), blood tests (serological tests for syphilis like VDRL and RPR, and treponemal tests such as FTA-ABS), and potentially microscopic examination of hair or skin samples. Treatment focuses on eradicating the underlying syphilis infection with antibiotics, primarily penicillin G. If a patient is allergic to penicillin, alternative antibiotics like doxycycline, tetracycline, or ceftriaxone may be prescribed.
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- Infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission (A50-A64)
In simple words: Syphilitic alopecia is hair loss caused by syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection. It causes patchy hair loss, often described as "moth-eaten," and can affect the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard. The hair loss is not permanent and can be treated by curing the syphilis.
Syphilitic alopecia is a rare manifestation of secondary syphilis, characterized by patchy hair loss on the scalp, and potentially affecting other hair-bearing areas such as the eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard.It presents in various patterns, including moth-eaten (small, irregular patches), diffuse (hair loss all over the scalp), or mixed (a combination of moth-eaten and diffuse patterns). This condition is a form of non-scarring alopecia, meaning that it doesn't cause permanent damage to the hair follicles, and hair regrowth can occur with appropriate treatment of the underlying syphilis infection. While often associated with other symptoms of secondary syphilis like skin rashes, flu-like symptoms, and swollen lymph nodes, syphilitic alopecia can sometimes be the sole presenting symptom (essential syphilitic alopecia).
Example 1: A 25-year-old patient presents with patchy hair loss on their scalp and eyebrows. They also report a recent history of a painless sore on their genitals. Blood tests confirm a syphilis infection, and the hair loss is diagnosed as syphilitic alopecia., A 30-year-old patient presents with diffuse hair thinning, resembling telogen effluvium. They deny any other symptoms.During routine STD screening, they test positive for syphilis, leading to a diagnosis of diffuse syphilitic alopecia., A patient presents with moth-eaten alopecia on their scalp and a rash on their palms and soles.These findings, along with positive syphilis serology, confirm the diagnosis of syphilitic alopecia as a manifestation of secondary syphilis.
Documentation should include details of the patient's history (including sexual history and any other symptoms), physical exam findings (description of the hair loss pattern and any associated skin lesions), results of serological tests for syphilis, and details of the treatment plan.
- Specialties:Dermatology, Infectious Disease, Venereology (if such subspecialty exists within the region's categorization), Primary Care
- Place of Service:Office, Outpatient Hospital, Inpatient Hospital