To the Editor.
—In a recent study designed to know the prevalence of neurosyphilis in immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection (HIV-1)—seropositive persons, Berger1 found a significant rate of unexpected neurosyphilis compared with HIV-1-negative patients. He also detected a high association (46%) of reactive serum syphilitic test results and HIV-positive patients. In our Dermatology Department in a General Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, from January 1, 1990, through October 1, 1991, we observed that 14 (40%) of 35 patients with syphilis also had HIV infection. Nine of them were seropositive to HIV-1, and the remaining five were seropositive to HIV-2. Ten patients were black West African immigrants, and four were white local residents. All but three were men, aged from 20 to 36 years. The average time living in Spain in the immigrant group was 4.6 years. The only risk factor for HIV infection among African patients was heterosexual intercourse with