Treponema Flashcards
Can treponemes be seen using standard microscopy?
No
Can treponemes be visualized using gram staining?
No
What type of microscopy is used to visualize treponemes?
Darkfield Microscopy
Can treponemes be cultured?
No
After penetrating mucous membranes and abrasions, how soon do treponemes invade blood vessels and lymphatics?
Immediately
What is the primary virulence factor used by treponemes?
Immune Evasion
Do treponemes cause high or low inflammation?
Low inflammation
Through what methods is T. pallidum transmitted?
Sexually and congenitally
How are yaws and pinta transmitted?
Through direct contact
Immune reaction by body against treponemes
Produces mostly useless antibodies (regain)
How many disease stages does syphilis have?
4
Describe the disease progression of syphilis through its stages
1) Primary chancre
2) Secondary body wide rashes, condylomata lata, patchy alopecia
3) Latent period
4) Tertiary gummas, neurosyphilis, cardiac involvement
How can neurosyphilis present?
Meningitis, Tabes dorsalis, or general paresis
What test is done to check for neurosyphilis?
Check for Argyll-Robertson pupil
What percentage of fetus/newborns does congenital syphilis kill?
50%
Babies infected with syphilis present with what?
Bone deformities and interstitial keratitis
Do babies infected with syphilis progress to secondary and tertiary stages?
If untreated, yes- they progress rapidly
What does diagnosis syphilis depend on?
Assembling an accurate timecourse of the many varied symptoms
Do patients tend to ignore early symptoms of syphilis that spontaneously resolve?
Yes, they do
What is the best lab test to for syphilis to determine if the disease is in progress?
Serology for reagin (VDRL, RPR)
How do you confirm that someone has syphilis?
Test for treponeme-specific antibodies
How do you treat treponema?
Penicillin G
