STI: tertiary syphilis: practice question

A Dermatology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dermatology · STI: tertiary syphilis

Sample item

A patient has a painless, punched-out ulcer with a wash-leather base on the leg and a positive treponemal test, some years after untreated infection. What is the lesion?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Gumma

A gumma is a destructive granulomatous lesion of late benign tertiary syphilis that may affect skin, bone and viscera. Tertiary lesions have few spirochaetes and respond to penicillin.

Option by option

  • A. Gumma (correct)

    Correct. A painless destructive granulomatous ulcer is a gumma.

  • B. Chancre

    A chancre is the primary lesion at the inoculation site.

  • C. Chancroid

    Chancroid is an acute painful ulcer.

  • D. Condyloma lata

    Condylomata lata belong to the secondary stage.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Dermatology questions

Questions about this Dermatology question

What is the answer to this Dermatology question?

The best answer is A, Gumma. A gumma is a destructive granulomatous lesion of late benign tertiary syphilis that may affect skin, bone and viscera.

Why is "Chancre" not the answer?

A chancre is the primary lesion at the inoculation site.

Why is "Chancroid" not the answer?

Chancroid is an acute painful ulcer.

Why is "Condyloma lata" not the answer?

Condylomata lata belong to the secondary stage.

What concept does this question test?

It tests STI: tertiary syphilis in Dermatology. Tertiary lesions have few spirochaetes and respond to penicillin.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study STI: tertiary syphilis?

Learn each condition by its primary lesion, site and signature sign. Then use the flashcards and the other Dermatology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.