Microbiology: Treponema Pallidum (syphilis)

Question 1

What are the 3 stages of syphilis?

Answer 1

1. localized primary
2. disseminated secondary
3. systemic tertiary

Question 2

Late neurosyphilis normally occurs in patients who have had untreated syphilis for over __ years.

Answer 2

10

Question 3

One of the most common symptoms of late neurosyphilis is _____ _________.

Answer 3

tabes dorsalis

Question 4

What is tabes dorsalis?

In patients with tabes dorsalis, due to a lack of proprioception, patients tend to lift their knees too high and then slap their feet down. To compensate for the lack of positional sense, tabetic patients often need visual cues to stand and often lose balance in the dark.

Answer 4

A specific type of ataxia that results from degeneration of the dorsal roots and dorsal columns of the spinal cord.

Question 5

The most common screening test for syphilis is the venereal disease research laboratory test (VDRL test). Confirmation should be done with the…

Answer 5

…fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed test.

Question 6

Treponema pallidum is a gram-________, ________-shaped spirochete.

Answer 6

gram-negative

corkscrew-shaped

Question 7

Congenital syphilis is characterized by an absent nasal ______, saber shins, rhinorrhea, disseminated rash, failure to thrive, and ___________ teeth.

Answer 7

bridge

Hutchinson

Question 8

The treatment of choice for syphilis is ________ ________ _.
For patients who are penicillin allergic, doxycycline is another treatment option, however, in pregnant women this is not an option as doxycycline is ___________.
Allergic ____________ _______ to penicillin in the intensive care unit is the most appropriate management for pregnant patients. Patients with tertiary syphilis or neurosyphilis should also receive allergic desensitization to penicillins.

Answer 8

benzathine penicillin G

teratogenic

desensitization therapy

Question 9

Tabes dorsalis literally means “_____ __ ___ ____”, i.e. degeneration of the dorsal roots and dorsal column of the spinal cord. It is characterized by the triad of unsteadiness, severe lightning-like pains, and _______ ____________.

Answer 9

“decay of the back”

urinary incontinence.

Question 10

The treatment of choice for syphilis is penicillin G in non-allergic patients. Penicillins act by blocking the formation of the cell wall and interfering with cross-linking of ___________.

Answer 10

peptidoglycans