Syphilis Flashcards
What causes syphilis?
Treponema pallidum
What is the incubation period for syphilis?
9-90 days
What is the disease progression?
It has primary, secondary and tertiary stages.
What are the primary features of syphilis?
- Chancre - painless ulcer at the site of sexual contact.
- Local non-tender lymphadenopathy
These are often not even seen in women.
What are the secondary features of syphilis?
- Systemic symptoms: fevers, lymphadenopathy.
- Rash on trunk, palms and soles.
- Buccal snail track ulcers (30%)
- Condylomata lata (wart like condition on the genitrals)
What is this?
Buccal ‘snail track’ ulcers (30%)
What is this?
Condylomata lata
When does secondary syphilis occur?
6 to 10 weeks after primary infection
What are the tertiary features of syphilis?
- Gummas (granulomatous lesions of the skin and bones)
- Ascending aortic aneurysms
- General paralysis of the insane
- Tabes dorsalis (syphilitic myelopathy)
- Argyll-Robertson pupil (prostitutes pupil - accomodates but doesn’t react)
What is this?
A syphilitic gumma
What is an argyll robertson pupil?
It is associated with neurosyphilis. It accomodates to a near object but does not constrict with light or dilate with no light.
What are some features of congenital syphilis?
- Blunted upper incisor teeth (Hutchinson’s teeth), ‘mulberry’ molars
- Rhagades (fissures, cracks, or linear scars in the skin, especially at the angles of the mouth and nose)
- Keratitis
- Saber shins
- Saddle nose
- Deafness
What is this?
Hutchinson’s teeth
What is this?
A saber shin - shaped like a saber sword.
