Isolation of virulent treponema pallidum from human aorta thirty-two hours after death from cardiovascular syphilis

Virulent Treponema pallidum was isolated from the aortic tissue of a patient who died of syphilitic aortitis with aortic regurgitation. The aortic tissue was transferred into the rabbit thirty-two hours after the death of the patient. Viable Treponema pallidum was also isolated from the juxta-articular nodules, but not from the circulating blood nor from the mitral valve tissue. The patient died twenty-five years after acquiring syphilis, without ever receiving specific antisyphilitic treatment.