The Treponema: Syphilis, Yaws, Pinta Flashcards
What method must be performed to identify Treponema pallidum on standard microscopy?
Darkfield uscopy w/o gram stain
What is the culture procedure for T. pallidum?
Can’t be cultured
What makes T. pallidum so virulent?
Immune evasion and low inflammation
How is T. pallidum transmitted?
Sexually or congenitally
How are yaws and pinta passed?
Direct contact
Describe the immune reaction to T. pallidum.
Humans raise mostly useless Abs (reagin)
What are the four stages of syphillis?
Primary chancre, Secondary body-wide rashes (condylomata lata, and patchy alopecia), latent period, teriary (gummas, neurosyphilis, cardiac involvement
Describe the pupillary findings in neurosyphilis
One or both eyes fails to constrict in response to light while they both constrict in order to accommodate (Argyll-Robertson pupil
What are the effects of congenital syphilis?
(50%) Death, Bone deformities, interstitial keratitis, progress rapidly to Syx of secondary and tertiary syphilis
What is the major strategy for syphilis Dx?
Assemble accurate timecourse of the many varied Syx
What are the lab tests helpful for syphilis Dx?
Reagin (VDRL, RPR); Confirm with treponeme-specific Abs
What is the Tx for treponema?
Penicillin G
What are the mechanisms of transmission of T. pallidum?
Sexual contact, blood, transplacentally
What is the major virulence factor for T. pallidum?
Immune evasion
What is the lesion of primary syphilis?
Chancre