Primary Syphilis in Adults: Condition, Treatments, and Pictures – Overview

52367
34

Information for
AdultsTeen

caption goes here…

Images of Syphilis, Primary

Overview

Primary syphilis is a disease caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacterium (a spirochete) called Treponema pallidum. It causes disease when it penetrates broken skin of the genitals or the mucous membranes of the mouth or anus. Primary syphilis is usually passed on to others through sexual contact, but other ways are possible (for example, from an infected mother to her newborn baby). There are 3 stages of infection, and it is important to recognize infection in the first (primary) stage, as this stage will heal without therapy. If the infection is not treated early, it will then continue and often goes on to damage the nervous system and the heart, leading to early death.

Syphilis can be completely cured if treated early. Healed infection leaves no immunity, so you can get infected again.

Who’s at risk?

Syphilis occurs worldwide. In the US, the rates of disease are higher in urban areas and the Southern states. Young adults (aged 15–25) are the highest-risk group for syphilis.

Syphilis is more common in men who have sex with men, sex workers, and people exposed to sex workers; this accounts for the fact that syphilis is seen more commonly in men than women.

Signs and Symptoms

Initially, in syphilis, a dusky red flat spot appears at the site of inoculation and is easily missed. Then, a painless ulcer (chancre) appears 18–21 days after initial infection. Genital sites in women affected are the cervix, vagina, vulva, and clitoris. Cervical and vaginal syphilis infections may not be recognized. In men, the chancre is easily seen on the penis. Other locations of infection are limited only by human ingenuity and imagination. Common sites are around the mouth (perioral) and between the buttocks (perianal) areas.

Chancres vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters. A chancre is usually painless, solitary, and shallow, with a sharp border and raised, hard edge. About 70–80% of patients have rubbery, non-tender, swollen lymph nodes, often on only one side of the groin, during the first week of infection.

If untreated, the chancre will remain present for 1–6 weeks. If treated, it heals without scarring in 1–2 weeks.

Self-Care Guidelines

Syphilis, in the primary stage, is highly contagious and can heal without therapy, making it easy to be mistaken for something less serious. If you are sexually active and suspect you have been exposed to syphilis or have an ulcer in the mouth, genital area, or anal area, you should seek medical care immediately. You should avoid any further sexual activity and notify any previous sexual partners.

Syphilis can be prevented by abstaining from casual sexual activity and using condoms correctly during any sexual contact. If you are in a long-term relationship, make sure that you know your partner’s sexual history or ask that your partner is tested prior to engaging in sexual activity.

When to Seek Medical Care

See your doctor immediately:

• If you are sexually active and have any ulcer in the genital, mouth, or anal area or suspect you have been exposed to someone with syphilis. Meantime, avoid sexual activity and notify your sexual partner(s) of your illness.
• If you have had intimate contact with someone with syphilis, have been using intravenous drugs, or if you have engaged in sex with multiple or unknown partners.

Treatments Your Physician May Prescribe

Blood and fluid tests will be done to look for other infectious sexually transmitted diseases that are often present along with syphilis.

Antibiotics (penicillin, doxycycline, or tetracycline) will be given, and blood tests will be done again; you will be followed for 2 years to be sure the infection is gone.

Do not engage in sexual activity until the chancre is healed and follow-up blood tests have shown that the infection has been cured.

Trusted Links

MedlinePlus: Syphilis
Clinical Information and Differential Diagnosis of Syphilis, Primary

References

>Bolognia, Jean L., ed. Dermatology, pp.1271-1282. New York: Mosby, 2003.

Freedberg, Irwin M., ed. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine. 6^th ed. pp.1263, 2164-2165. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Primary Syphilis in Adults: Condition, Treatments, and Pictures – Overview

52367
34

Information for
AdultsTeen

caption goes here…

Images of Syphilis, Primary

Overview

Primary syphilis is a disease caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacterium (a spirochete) called Treponema pallidum. It causes disease when it penetrates broken skin of the genitals or the mucous membranes of the mouth or anus. Primary syphilis is usually passed on to others through sexual contact, but other ways are possible (for example, from an infected mother to her newborn baby). There are 3 stages of infection, and it is important to recognize infection in the first (primary) stage, as this stage will heal without therapy. If the infection is not treated early, it will then continue and often goes on to damage the nervous system and the heart, leading to early death.

Syphilis can be completely cured if treated early. Healed infection leaves no immunity, so you can get infected again.

Who’s at risk?

Syphilis occurs worldwide. In the US, the rates of disease are higher in urban areas and the Southern states. Young adults (aged 15–25) are the highest-risk group for syphilis.

Syphilis is more common in men who have sex with men, sex workers, and people exposed to sex workers; this accounts for the fact that syphilis is seen more commonly in men than women.

Signs and Symptoms

Initially, in syphilis, a dusky red flat spot appears at the site of inoculation and is easily missed. Then, a painless ulcer (chancre) appears 18–21 days after initial infection. Genital sites in women affected are the cervix, vagina, vulva, and clitoris. Cervical and vaginal syphilis infections may not be recognized. In men, the chancre is easily seen on the penis. Other locations of infection are limited only by human ingenuity and imagination. Common sites are around the mouth (perioral) and between the buttocks (perianal) areas.

Chancres vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters. A chancre is usually painless, solitary, and shallow, with a sharp border and raised, hard edge. About 70–80% of patients have rubbery, non-tender, swollen lymph nodes, often on only one side of the groin, during the first week of infection.

If untreated, the chancre will remain present for 1–6 weeks. If treated, it heals without scarring in 1–2 weeks.

Self-Care Guidelines

Syphilis, in the primary stage, is highly contagious and can heal without therapy, making it easy to be mistaken for something less serious. If you are sexually active and suspect you have been exposed to syphilis or have an ulcer in the mouth, genital area, or anal area, you should seek medical care immediately. You should avoid any further sexual activity and notify any previous sexual partners.

Syphilis can be prevented by abstaining from casual sexual activity and using condoms correctly during any sexual contact. If you are in a long-term relationship, make sure that you know your partner’s sexual history or ask that your partner is tested prior to engaging in sexual activity.

When to Seek Medical Care

See your doctor immediately:

• If you are sexually active and have any ulcer in the genital, mouth, or anal area or suspect you have been exposed to someone with syphilis. Meantime, avoid sexual activity and notify your sexual partner(s) of your illness.
• If you have had intimate contact with someone with syphilis, have been using intravenous drugs, or if you have engaged in sex with multiple or unknown partners.

Treatments Your Physician May Prescribe

Blood and fluid tests will be done to look for other infectious sexually transmitted diseases that are often present along with syphilis.

Antibiotics (penicillin, doxycycline, or tetracycline) will be given, and blood tests will be done again; you will be followed for 2 years to be sure the infection is gone.

Do not engage in sexual activity until the chancre is healed and follow-up blood tests have shown that the infection has been cured.

Trusted Links

MedlinePlus: Syphilis
Clinical Information and Differential Diagnosis of Syphilis, Primary

References

>Bolognia, Jean L., ed. Dermatology, pp.1271-1282. New York: Mosby, 2003.

Freedberg, Irwin M., ed. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine. 6^th ed. pp.1263, 2164-2165. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

8 Syphilis Symptoms In Women

What’s wrong with this picture: In the year 2,000, only 6,000 cases of syphilis were reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But in 2016, 88,042 new cases of syphilis were reported.

Um, WTF? Rates of this potentially devastating STI have been increasing since about 2012, says Jessica Shepherd, M.D., an ob-gyn in Chicago, who sees more cases of syphilis in her practice than ever before.

While syphilis tends to be more common among men who have sex with men, about one in 10 new diagnoses are among women, says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Syphilis is actually super-scary, so this is pretty alarming news. The bacterial infection, which can be spread via vaginal, oral, or anal sex, progresses in three stages that pretty much go from scary to horrible to terrifying.

In the first two stages, syphilis can easily be treated with a quick round of antibiotics. But if you don’t treat syphilis within 12 months, it goes latent, meaning the bacteria is still in your body but you may not have symptoms for many years.

Ten to 30 years down the line, it can become active again, though. In its third stage, syphilis can damage your brain, nerves, eyes, heart, and other organs, leading to blindness, paralysis, and even death, according to ACOG. “It’s important to diagnose and treat syphilis early because it can progress to stages that can affect your brain or your overall health, and it can be transferred to babies if it’s not diagnosed in pregnancy,” says Shepherd.

Shepherd says most people notice syphilis symptoms in the first or second stages of the disease, although it’s not uncommon for people to not realize their symptoms are caused by syphilis.

Here are eight syphilis symptoms in women you need to know about.

1

Firm, round, painless sores

In the first stage of syphilis, which lasts three to six weeks, you may or may not notice multiple sores at the spot of infection, according to the CDC.

“They’re painless and firm, and kind of have a vesicular (i.e., a small fluid-filled sac) feel,” explains Shepherd. There are usually several in one area, each slightly larger than a pimple, or about half a centimeter in width. “They do go away. If you don’t go to your doctor in time, she may not see them,” says Shepherd. Untreated, the infection progresses to second-stage syphilis.

2

Fever and swollen lymph glands

Another symptom that can appear at any stage of syphilis is a low-grade fever, generally around 100.4 to 100.6 degrees Fahrenheit. “It wouldn’t last for very long—a few days, if at all,” says Shepherd.

To be fair, a fever can be a sign of lots of things, so if you haven’t noticed other syphilis symptoms it’s probably nothing to worry about. Still, if you’re concerned it’s never a bad idea to phone your doctor.

3

Skin rashes

Notice a funky rash anywhere on your body? Always a good reason to check in with your doctor. In the secondary stage of untreated syphilis, you may discover a rash on some pretty random parts of your body. “You’ll notice small, rough red bumps, and it may go unnoticed because doesn’t cause itching,” says Shepherd.

While a syphilis rash most often appears on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet, it can pop up elsewhere—although Shepherd says it’s usually pretty localized. At this point, the syphilis bacteria has traveled through your blood, she explains, so it’s starting to affect parts of your body beyond where you were first exposed

4

Sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus

Another sign of secondary-stage syphilis: multiple large (one- to three-centimeter), raised, gray or white sores that appear in moist areas like your mouth, underarms, or groin. “They’re wart-like, somewhat raised, and not painful,” Shepherd says. “In fact they can be misdiagnosed as genital warts, which aren’t painful either. ” Either way, if you notice these kinds of bumps it’s a good idea to book an appointment with your ob-gyn right away.

5

Patchy hair loss

In the secondary stages of syphilis, you might find patchy bald spots on your scalp. Known as syphilitic alopecia, “this is not one of the big symptoms, and it’s not typical in what we would normally see,” says Shepherd. In fact, hair loss in women can have all other kinds of causes, including hormonal changes, medications, and medical conditions. “If you have hair loss, we usually see other symptoms like a rash, and we piece it together,” she adds. Once syphilis is treated, hair grows back.

6

Weight Loss

Some women notice they might lose a couple of pounds in second-stage syphilis, but nothing dramatic, says Shepherd. “We usually only notice it when we start to piece things together. Women may also have other symptoms rather than just weight loss,” she says. Other symptoms of second-stage syphilis are cold-like and include headaches, muscle aches, sore throat, and fatigue, all of which will go away with or without treatment, according to the CDC.

7

Sensory deficits and clumsiness

Once untreated syphilis reaches the tertiary stage, bacteria can eventually affect the brain, says Shepherd. Known as neurosyphilis, according to the CDC, it affects up to 10 percent of patients with untreated syphilis and can lead to meningitis, or inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

In addition to headaches and difficulty coordinating muscle movements, other symptoms include altered behavior, paralysis, sensory deficits, and dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic. The good news is, syphilis is treatable at any stage with antibiotics—although you’ll need to see your doctor to get diagnosed, and you’ll likely need to take medication for weeks or potentially be hospitalized for IV antibiotics at this stage.

8

Fuzzy vision

Ocular syphilis is another tertiary effect of untreated syphilis, where bacteria affect the optic nerve in the brain, according to the CDC. Symptoms can include vision changes up to permanent blindness. “Syphilis is a blood-borne pathogen, so once it’s in the brain it will affect that organ. It’s just an amount of time before gets there,” says Shepherd. There’s one more good reason to check in with your doctor right away if you notice any early-stage syphilis symptoms.

Colleen de Bellefonds
Colleen de Bellefonds is an American freelance journalist living in Paris, France, with her husband and dog, Mochi.

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Syphilis – Symptoms – NHS

The symptoms of syphilis are similar for men and women. They’re often mild and difficult to recognise, and you may pass on the infection without knowing you have it.

The symptoms tend to change over time and may come and go.

Even if the symptoms do improve, there’s still a risk you could pass the infection on or develop serious problems if you don’t get treatment.

Early symptoms of syphilis

The first symptoms of syphilis usually develop around 2 or 3 weeks after infection, although they can start later than this.

This stage of the infection is known as “primary syphilis”.

• the main symptom is a small, painless sore or ulcer called a chancre that you might not notice
• the sore will typically be on the penis, vagina, or around the anus, although it can sometimes appear in the mouth or on the lips, fingers or buttocks
• most people only have one sore, but some people have several
• you may also have swollen glands in your neck, groin or armpits

These symptoms usually pass within 2 to 8 weeks. But if the infection isn’t treated, it may progress to a second stage.

Later symptoms of syphilis

Further symptoms may develop a few weeks after the initial symptoms have passed. This is known as “secondary syphilis”.

Symptoms of secondary syphilis include:

• a blotchy red rash that can appear anywhere on the body, but often develops on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
• small skin growths (similar to genital warts) – on women these often appear on the vulva and for both men and women they may appear around the anus
• white patches in the mouth
• flu-like symptoms, such as tiredness, headaches, joint pains and a high temperature (fever)
• swollen glands
• occasionally, patchy hair loss

These symptoms usually pass within a few weeks, although they may come and go over several months before they disappear.

You’ll still be infected even if you don’t have symptoms. This is known as “latent syphilis” and it can last for decades and lead to serious problems if not treated.

It’s still possible to pass on the infection during this stage, although this usually only happens within 2 years of becoming infected.

Serious problems if left untreated

Without treatment, a syphilis infection can last for years or decades without causing any symptoms.

Eventually, it can spread to parts of the body such as the brain or nerves and cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems. This is known as “tertiary syphilis”.

People with tertiary syphilis may experience:

Syphilis is still treatable at this stage, but it’s sometimes not possible to reverse any damage that’s already been done.

Page last reviewed: 07 February 2019
Next review due: 07 February 2022

Syphilis images | DermNet NZ

Syphilis images — codes and concepts

open

Categories:

Images,

Bacterial infection

Subcategories:

Primary syphilitic chancre – genital,

Secondary syphilitic rashes,

Syphilides,

Condyloma lata,

Post-inflammatory pigmentation

ICD-10:

A51. 0, A51.39, A51.31

ICD-11:

1A61.0, 1A61.3, 1A61.4

SNOMED CT:

402940004, 266128007, 59233003, 91554004

> Go to the image library

Primary syphilis

Secondary syphilis

Tertiary syphilis

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What Are the Symptoms & Signs of Syphilis?

Syphilis symptoms can be hard to notice, and come and go over time. So the best way to know if you have syphilis is to get tested.

You might not notice any signs of syphilis.

Syphilis is sneaky, because you or your partner may not have any symptoms that you see or feel. Most of the time, people don’t even realize they have syphilis — that’s part of the reason it’s a common infection (and why it’s so important to get tested).

The signs of syphilis can be so mild you don’t even notice them. Sometimes people confuse syphilis symptoms with other things, like pimples or rashes. Syphilis symptoms come and go over time, but that doesn’t mean the infection goes away. The ONLY way to get rid of syphilis is to take medicine for it.

Syphilis leads to serious problems if you don’t treat it. But it’s usually easy to cure it with antibiotics when you treat it early. That’s why regular STD testing is so important if you have sex, no matter how healthy you seem.

What are the symptoms of syphilis?

Syphilis can be kind of confusing because there are a few different stages, and they can overlap or happen around the same time. And there may be times when you have no symptoms at all — but the infection will still be there until you get it treated. Symptoms can vary with each stage, and they might not always happen in the same order for everyone.

Primary stage.

A syphilis sore (called a chancre) pops up — that sore is where the syphilis infection entered your body. Chancres are usually firm, round, and painless, or sometimes open and wet. There’s often only 1 sore, but you may have more.

Chancres can show up on your vulva, vagina, anus, penis, scrotum, and rarely, your lips or mouth. The sores may also hide deep in your vagina, under your foreskin, inside your rectum, and other places that are hard to see.

Syphilis sores are SUPER contagious and easily pass the infection to other people during sex. It’s easy to mistake a chancre for an ingrown hair, pimple, or harmless bump. And because the sores aren’t painful and can live in hidden places, you may not notice them.

Chancres typically show up anywhere between 3 weeks and 3 months after you get the infection. The sores usually last about 3 to 6 weeks and then go away on their own — with or without treatment. But if you don’t get treated, you still have syphilis, even if the sores are gone. You have to take medication to cure syphilis and stop it from moving to the next stage.

Secondary stage.

Secondary stage symptoms include rashes on the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, or other parts of your body. The secondary syphilis rash is sometimes hard to see, and it usually doesn’t itch. You may feel sick and have mild flu-like symptoms, like a slight fever, feeling tired, sore throat, swollen glands, headache, and muscle aches. You can also have sores in your mouth, vagina, or anus, and weight or hair loss.

Secondary stage symptoms (syphilis rash) can last 2 to 6 weeks at a time, and may come and go for up to 2 years. They’re similar to other common illnesses, so it can be hard to tell it’s syphilis. The symptoms from this stage will go away by themselves with or without treatment. But unless you get treated for syphilis, you’ll still have the infection in your body and it can move into the dangerous later stages. That’s why STD testing is so important.

Late stage.

In between the secondary stage and the late stage, there may be times when your syphilis infection is latent (there are no signs or symptoms at all) for months or even years — but you still need treatment to get rid of it. People who have had syphilis for a long time face serious health problems. Late stages of syphilis can cause tumors, blindness, and paralysis. It can damage your nervous system, brain and other organs, and may even kill you.

Syphilis is easily curable with antibiotics in the early stages. If you get treatment late, it will still cure the infection and stop future damage to your body. But the damage that late stage syphilis has already caused can’t be changed or healed.  The complications from late stage syphilis can happen 10-20 years after you first get infected.

More questions from patients:

What are the syphilis symptoms in men? What about the syphilis symptoms in women?

Syphilis symptoms in men and syphilis symptoms in women are mostly the same. Often, syphilis has no symptoms or has such mild symptoms that you don’t notice them.

There are also several stages of syphilis, which may overlap. The stages may be separated by “latent stages,” meaning times when you don’t have any symptoms at all.

Symptoms vary with each stage.

• Primary Stage — A painless sore or open, wet ulcer, which is called a chancre, shows up. You may have 1 chancre or a few. Chancres usually appear about 3 weeks after you get infected, but it may take up to 90 days. Without treatment, they last 3 – 6 weeks. Chancres can appear on your genitals, cervix, lips, mouth, breasts, or anus. You may also get swollen glands during the primary phase.

• Secondary Stage — Other symptoms often appear 3 – 6 weeks after the sores show up. These syphilis symptoms may come and go for up to 2 years. They include body rashes that last 2 – 6 weeks — often on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. There are lots of other symptoms, including mild fever, fatigue, sore throat, hair loss, weight loss, swollen glands, headache, and muscle pains.

• Late Stage — 1 out of 3 people who have syphilis that’s not treated suffer serious damage to their nervous system, heart, brain, or other organs, which can even kill you. This stage can occur 1–20 years after the start of your infection.

If you’re noticed any of these syphilis symptoms, the staff at your local Planned Parenthood health center, many other clinics, health departments, and private doctors can diagnose syphilis and help you get any treatment you may need. But, like many STDs, since not everyone gets symptoms, if you’ve had unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex, STD testing is super important.

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Syphilis Aid to Diagnosis – Minnesota Dept. of Health

On this web page, you will see some extremely graphic images. These images are intended to help health care professionals identify and diagnose syphilis. We do not suggest proceeding unless you are a health care professional who needs to see such images. Thank you.

All images and descriptions courtesy of the CDC Public Health Image Library

On this page:
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary/Late Stage

Primary:

Usually, a single ulcer (chancre) appears at the site where the bacteria entered the body. The genitals are the most common location for chancres to develop, but these ulcers also can form around the mouth or anus. The chancre is firm and painless, and it oozes fluid that contains syphilis bacteria. Sometimes, lymph nodes near the ulcer become enlarged, but remain painless. The chancre of primary syphilis usually heals after one to five weeks, although the person remains infected. At this stage, syphilis is highly contagious.

• Painless lesion appears 10-90 days at site of exposure, persists for 1-5 weeks
• Multiple lesions (25% of patients)
• Often goes unnoticed if it’s not someplace obvious, i.e. inter-vaginally, rectally, orally

Primary syphilitic chancres

Primary syphilitic chancres are usually firm, round, small, and painless, and develop at the spot where the T. pallidum bacteria enter the body. The chancre lasts 1 to 5 weeks, and it heals without treatment. However, if adequate treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

Secondary:

Secondary syphilis is characterized by a systemic spread of the Treponema pallidum bacterial spirochetes. Skin rash and malaise commonly characterize the secondary stage. The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis will resolve with or without treatment, but without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and late stages of disease. At this stage, syphilis is highly contagious.

• “Rash” 75%-90% of patients
• Malaise, fever 50-80%
• Mucous patches oral cavity and genital areas 5-30%
• Moist, heaped, wart-like lesions — Condyloma lata — on genital, anal or oral areas  5-25%
• Hair loss 10-15%
• Neurosyphilis <2%

Characteristic rash

The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed.

Mucous patches

Mucous patches form during the breakdown of mucous membranes, seen here on the inferior surface of the tongue. During the secondary stage of syphilis, mucous patches can also develop inside the mouth, vulva, and vagina.

Tertiary/Late stages:

Without treatment, an infected person still has syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms. It remains in the body, and it may begin to damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. At this stage, syphilis is usually no longer contagious.

Tertiary syphilitic gummas may mimic basal cell carcinoma. The gummatous tumors are benign and, if properly treated, in most cases will heal and the patient will recover.

Condylomata lata

Condylomata lata lesions usually present as gray, raised papules that sometimes appear on the vulva or near the anus, or in any other warm intertriginous region.

Because this type of cutaneous lesion is also a symptom manifested by illnesses other than syphilis such as condylomata acuminata, a differential diagnosis must be performed in order to rule out other possibilities. Syphilis is known as the “great imitator” for, as in this case, manifestations often resemble other disease processes.

Interstitial keratitis

Interstitial keratitis, which is an inflammation of the cornea’s connective tissue elements, and usually affects both eyes, can occur as a complication brought on by congenital, or acquired syphilis. IK usually occurs in children older than two years of age.

90,000 symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

In the group of sexually transmitted diseases, syphilis occupies a leading position. Worldwide, up to 6 million people are infected with it annually. Negative statistics indicate the prevalence of infection and a low level of protection in intimate life. Over the past 20 years, the number of patients with this diagnosis has increased in Europe.According to the Ministry of Health, the dynamics in Russia is the opposite – the number of cases of morbidity has decreased by 10 times. There are only 16.5 infected per 100,000 people. Syphilis is treated – this is the only plus that can be said with confidence when it comes to sexually transmitted infections.

Symptoms and signs of syphilis

The incubation period is 3 to 6 weeks.It can manifest itself at any stage. There are three main ones: primary, secondary and tertiary (late). Symptoms begin to manifest syphilis at the site of contact. Each stage has a set of symptoms, but in general, this disease is called a large mimic. It can disguise itself as various pathologies. Depending on the stage of syphilis, the duration of treatment is different.

Primary stage

The first rashes appear in about 3-4 weeks. It starts with a painless ulcer (chancre) in the primary stage.Localization – mucous membranes, genitals, near the anus, in the rectum, etc. After a few weeks, the ulcer will heal, and syphilis passes into the next form.

Secondary stage

Brownish-red spots appear on the body, mucous membranes, palms and feet. These signs of syphilis are hard to miss. It is characteristic that there is no pain or itching. Fever, headache and muscle pain can join the symptoms. If the patient has secondary syphilis, the lymph nodes may swell.The condition of an infected person is aggravated by the following symptoms:

• specific tonsillitis;
• hoarseness of voice;
• eye damage and decreased vision.

Tertiary stage

The first and second periods of syphilis symptoms are not very pronounced. If the infection has not been treated for 3-4 years, it goes into a latent state. The tertiary stage is characterized by serious health problems. There is an irreversible damage to the internal organs and important systems of the body.Infectious bumps and gums form on the skin, which can periodically appear, leaving scars. Such stages of syphilis develop with parallel damage to the brain, cardiovascular system, bones, liver, eyes. Health can deteriorate to the point of paralysis, impaired coordination of movements, complete loss of vision and dementia.

Do you have syphilis symptoms?

Only a doctor can accurately diagnose the disease.
Do not delay the consultation – call

+7 (495) 775-73-60

Causes of

The spirochete Treponema pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis, which is transferred from the body to the body by contact with the secretions and mucous membranes of a sick person.Outside the tissues of the host, treponema has a short life span. For this reason, it migrates by direct contact.

Routes of infection

How syphilis or other types of sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted – you need to know for your own safety and health. Mostly they are infected through sexual contact. Frequent partner changes also increase the risk of contracting an infection. Syphilis is a route of infection not only in the form of unprotected sexual intercourse. It is also possible to contract the disease in the household way, although this rarely happens. Syphilitic rashes on the body and mucous membranes remain especially contagious in the first 2 years from the beginning of the incubation period. If women with syphilis are planning a pregnancy or already have one, transmission of the infection to the child can occur in utero.

Risk factors

Risk factors are social and economic changes. This is manifested in a decrease in the standard of living regarding not only promiscuous sexual intercourse, but also drug use. Among injection drug users, the incidence rate is up to 58%. But there is another side of the issue, when we are not talking about the disadvantage in certain segments of the population. There is a risk of becoming a carrier when the pathogen is transmitted through the blood. People with pathologies of the immune system are always at risk.

Complications and consequences of syphilis

Syphilis manifests itself or does not appear, but it has a negative effect on internal organs in any case.It is natural that untimely treatment leads to severe and irreversible consequences. The list of complications includes the following:

• damage to the central nervous system;
• damage to the cardiovascular system;
• impaired memory of intellectual abilities;
• neurological deficits;

90,017 blindness and hearing loss;

• meningitis.

When to see a doctor

If you suspect an STI and syphilis, you need to contact a dermatovenerologist who deals with the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.JSC “Medicine” (Clinic of Academician Roitberg) is located in the center of Moscow: 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskaya per., 10.

The reason to go for a consultation with a doctor may be feeling unwell with infectious or inflammatory manifestations in the genitourinary system. The appearance of sores and rashes inside the thighs, itching and burning during intercourse or urination should alert. Signs of syphilis can be hidden, but on a routine examination with tests, the disease can be diagnosed at random.

Preparing to visit a doctor

An appointment with a dermatovenerologist has a certain specificity. First of all, you need to carry out hygiene procedures without soap or other cosmetics. Shyness must be overcome before entering the office. The doctor will ask in detail about the details of intimate life, the number of partners, habits.This is necessary to draw up a general anamnesis. It is recommended not to have sexual intercourse for 2-3 days before taking it. A few hours before the examination, you need to refrain from urinating so that the doctor can take tests for the presence of STI pathogens. If you have the results of different types of laboratory or instrumental studies over the past 6 months, take them with you. Especially if the manifestation of syphilis has already been recorded.

Diagnosis of syphilis

Doctors of different specialties can determine whether a man or woman has an infection. Syphilis is diagnosed by a venereologist, gynecologist, dermatologist, urologist, etc. At the first stage of diagnosis, the doctor performs a general examination to identify typical signs of infection. Symptoms can also manifest in syphilis in an erased form, therefore, conducting analyzes and tests helps to detail the situation in order to make the correct diagnosis. The first point is to donate blood for syphilis from a vein (RPR, Wasserman reaction RW). If there is an unhealed chancre, it is scraped for microscopic examination.It is possible that syphilis will show a positive result in the analysis. This can happen in the case of pregnancy, eating very fatty foods, a recent vaccination or other infection.

A gynecologist can diagnose syphilis in women, and it is recommended to visit him every 6 months. If an infection is suspected, tests and additional studies are prescribed. The urologist helps to diagnose syphilis in men, to whom they make an appointment when characteristic symptoms appear in the genitourinary system.

Treatment of infection with treponema

At the beginning of the choice of therapy, blood for syphilis is donated to determine the presence of antibodies. Drug therapy is selected individually, depending on the stage of the disease and the severity of its course. Affects the choice of drugs and the fact of pregnancy in women.Sustained release benzathine benzylpenicillin (“Bicillin” L-A) is used predominantly. Syphilis is treated with a number of other drugs. Therapy should be comprehensive. Patients are additionally prescribed fortifying drugs, immunotherapy and physiotherapy.

Is it possible to become infected with syphilis a second time – an unequivocally positive answer to this question. Recovered patients can become carriers of the infection again if health safety rules are not followed. Antibiotic therapy is the only effective method to cure sexual syphilis at various stages.

Home Remedies

Traditional medicine has evolved over the centuries, and people have encountered STIs many thousands of years ago. In the piggy bank of healers there are ways to deal with pale treponema, but nowadays, treating syphilis at home is a wrong decision.Previously, doctors recommended making a healing drink based on wine, apple juice and strawberry jam diluted with water. The mixture was brought to a boil, cooled, and crushed garlic was added. The drug promised to get rid of pale treponema. Syphilis was also treated with a strained decoction of burdock root or hops.

Modern methods of therapy are more effective in eliminating sexually transmitted infections. As soon as the first signs of syphilis appeared, it means that the disease has just begun. It’s a delusion. At this stage, the infection is already seriously progressing, requiring immediate treatment. Otherwise, it can become chronic.

Myths and Dangerous Misconceptions in Treatment

The test for syphilis will be negative after therapy – this is a misconception.It can show a false positive result due to the presence of antibodies in the blood.

A condom can 100% protect against infection with treponema pale – this is not entirely true, although the disease is sexually transmitted. Weeping and open sores on the body or mucous membranes are at great risk. Infection with syphilis with such contact is inevitable.

If the STI does not bother you and does not show signs, you do not have to worry about your health. This is a misconception because infections can be latent. And only an analysis for syphilis can show the true picture.

Prevention of infection with treponema

It is enough to look at what syphilis looks like to make a decision about giving up promiscuous sex life. This is an effective way of prevention.Casual sex carries a high risk.

If the circumstances are such that you have to live with an infected person, strict hygiene rules must be followed. The domestic transmission rate is minimal in terms of risk, but it is there. See what syphilis looks like and you will know the possible consequences of the disease. Visiting doctors periodically for syphilis prophylaxis is an effective method to confirm or deny STIs.

How to make an appointment with a dermatovenerologist

In JSC “Medicine” (the clinic of Academician Roitberg), experienced doctors conduct appointments. The diagnosis and treatment of syphilis disease is performed by doctors of various specialties. An appointment with the doctors of the clinic is available both online and through the information call: +7 (495) 775-73-60. The clinic is located in the center of Moscow at the address: 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskaya lane, 10.

It is easy to check and maintain health with professionals. The main thing is to seek help in a timely manner.

articles of the clinic Oxford Medical Kiev

Contents:

1. How is syphilis transmitted?

2. Symptoms of syphilis in women

3. Stages of the disease

4. Diagnosis of syphilis

5. Treatment of syphilis in women

6. Complications of syphilis

7. Complications of syphilis

   13

which is sexually transmitted. More than 6 million people are diagnosed with it annually. Syphilis is not only one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, but also very dangerous due to the high risk of complications. Unlike other STIs, besides the genitals, it also affects the nervous system, internal organs, and skin.

With timely diagnosis, syphilis responds well to treatment, but many patients miss the moment the first symptoms appear and do not go to the doctor. Also, in some cases, the disease proceeds in a latent form for several months and even years.As a result, the identification of the infection is delayed, which leads to its spread throughout the body and the development of complications.

How is syphilis spread?

The development of syphilis is caused by pale treponema, a bacterium that is transmitted from person to person. It enters the body through small cracks, scratches, wounds on the skin and mucous membranes.

Most often, infection occurs through sexual contact with an infected partner. He may not even know about the presence of the disease, since there are its latent forms.In rare cases, the infection can be transmitted through the use of non-sterile syringes or intimate things.

Syphilis is also transmitted from mother to child during fetal development and childbirth.

Domestic contamination when visiting public pools, saunas, etc. unlikely, as bacteria quickly die outside the body.

Symptoms of syphilis in women

Syphilis develops in stages, at each of which the symptoms of the disease change. The incubation period is from 1 to 13 weeks – during this time, the first signs of the disease may appear.However, their absence does not guarantee that infection has not occurred. If such a risk exists, you need to see a doctor and get tested.

Symptoms of syphilis may include:

• ulcers (chancre) on the genitals and / or mouth;

• small rash that spreads throughout the body;

• sore throat;

• enlargement of lymph nodes;

• high temperature;

• change of periods of improvement and deterioration of health.

Stages of the disease

Depending on the stage of development, syphilis is divided into:

• primary;

• secondary;

• tertiary.

The first symptom of primary syphilis is a small ulcer called a chancre. In women, it can appear in the genital area, anus, or on the cervix. Such an ulcer develops painlessly and very often goes unnoticed. In most cases, only one chancre appears in the first stage of syphilis, but sometimes there may be several.

Within 3-6 weeks, the chancre heals on its own, but this does not mean recovery, but about the transition of the disease to the next stage.

The symptom of syphilis in the second stage is a rash that looks like hives. It usually begins on the trunk and gradually spreads throughout the body up to the palms and feet.

Most often, this rash does not cause itching and painful sensations. Sometimes it is accompanied by the formation of small growths that look like warts.They can appear on the genitals as well as in the mouth.

Some patients also experience fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and focal hair loss at this time.

If at this stage syphilis also remains undiagnosed and the patient does not receive treatment, the disease goes into the third – latent stage. It is accompanied by an improvement in well-being, the disappearance of symptoms and the latent development of infection. This period can last from several months to several years.During the first year, periodic alternation of periods of exacerbation and remission is possible.

The last stage of syphilis is characterized by the spread of infection to other organs, in particular the nervous system, brain, eyes, liver, joints and bone tissue. Such complications develop in 15-30% of patients who did not receive timely treatment. But infection can affect internal organs at any stage of the disease, even at an early stage.

Diagnosis of syphilis

Diagnostics and treatment of syphilis is carried out by doctors of various specialties.If a woman suspects an infection, she should consult a gynecologist or dermatovenerologist. The doctor will listen to complaints, conduct an examination and prescribe tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Syphilis can be detected using:

• analyzes of urogenital secretions, scrapings from chancre;

• blood tests.

In case of complicated cases, consultations of specialized specialists and additional diagnostics may also be required.

Treatment of syphilis in women

Specialists from Oxford Medical say that syphilis is treated with medication. The main one is antibiotic therapy, which is prescribed to destroy the bacterial pathogen. The patient may be advised to take oral or injectable medications. The type of antibiotics, dosage and duration of therapy are determined individually, taking into account the stage of the disease.

In addition, anti-inflammatory and other medications are used as needed to relieve symptoms of the disease.

The initial forms of syphilis respond well to treatment, so patients are not hospitalized.But with the development of complications, treatment is carried out in a hospital.

During treatment, patients are recommended:

• to refrain from sexual intercourse;

• carefully observe all hygiene rules;

• take all medications prescribed by a doctor and do not self-medicate;

• tell your partner about the disease for diagnostics and, if necessary, treatment.

The effectiveness of therapy is checked by tests.They are carried out after the completion of the course of antibiotics, as well as after 1-2 months. Tests make sure that the infection has not remained in the body in a latent form.

Complications of syphilis

Without timely and properly selected treatment, syphilis can cause serious complications. The most common are from the side:

• skin – the formation of small bumps (warts), which usually disappear after therapy;

• of the nervous system – headache, meningitis, loss of hearing and / or vision, stroke, urinary incontinence, etc.;

• of the cardiovascular system – inflammation of the heart muscle, formation of aortic aneurysms, damage to blood vessels and heart valves;

• immune system – weakening of the immune system and a high risk of contracting other infections.

Syphilis is especially dangerous for pregnant women, therefore, screening tests are prescribed twice within 9 months.

During pregnancy, infection can cause:

• complications of pregnancy;

• termination of pregnancy;

• premature birth;

• intrauterine infection of the fetus, which is dangerous by the development of anatomical abnormalities and damage to internal organs.

Prevention of syphilis

To reduce the risk of contracting syphilis, experts recommend:

• refrain from casual sex;

• use contact contraceptives for any kind of sex;

• give up bad habits, drug use;

• use only personal hygiene products;

• regularly get tested for syphilis, especially if there is a risk of infection.

Sources:

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines

Syphilis_Monograph

Medscape

Related Services:

STD Treatment

Hard Clinic


Treatment of syphilis in women during pregnancy

The most serious sexually transmitted disease is syphilis.Syphilis is especially dangerous and insidious in women, who often notice the disease only in its later stages. Since the consequences of congenital syphilis in children can be very serious (if a child does not die in the last months of pregnancy or immediately after birth, then he develops lesions of internal organs and skin), when registering, pregnant women must be tested for syphilis.

The causative agent of the disease is treponema pale. Infection occurs through injured areas of the skin and mucous membranes, most often during sexual intercourse. Through microtrauma, the causative agent of the disease enters the bloodstream. 3-4 weeks after contact, a small ulcer appears at the injection site – syphiloma. Syphilis in women is dangerous because syphiloma is often located in the vagina or even on the cervix. It is painless, and therefore remains unnoticed for a long time. The disease progresses without treatment. We will describe below how household syphilis is transmitted and what incubation period it has, the symptoms of the disease and the standard treatment regimen.

How does primary and secondary syphilis manifest

Periods of syphilis:

• incubation: from the moment of infection until the appearance of visible signs of the disease.Lasts from two weeks to three months;
• primary: since the appearance of a hard chancre at the site of introduction of the pathogen. The first sign of syphilis in the early stages is chancre. It has the appearance of erosion or sores of the color of red meat. Diagnosis of hard chancre in the mouth and lips is sometimes difficult due to its atypical shape. After a week, the nearby lymph nodes enlarge and thicken. After 2-3 weeks, all lymph nodes increase in size, weakness, headache occurs;
• Secondary: A skin rash appears that may disappear without treatment and then reappear.Types of rashes: nodular, vesicular, pustular. After 5-6 months, hair loss, damage to the nervous system is possible. Read more about how primary and secondary syphilis manifests itself on our website https://www.dobrobut.com/;
• tertiary: in the absence of treatment occurs in 3.5-4 years. Many tissues and organs are affected, up to the spinal cord and brain.

The first symptom of infection with sexual syphilis in men is the appearance of a hard chancre (single or multiple).An ulcer (erosion) is usually localized in the genital area (more often on the penis).

How to take a blood test for latent syphilis

An analysis for syphilis must be taken by pregnant women, donors, some categories of workers (medical personnel, cooks), patients before a planned operation. A positive syphilis test result does not always mean that a person has an STD. Tests can be false positive for acute and chronic diseases, recent vaccinations and some other conditions.This is explained by the fact that the patient’s blood contains immunoglobulins that are similar to antitreponemal antibodies. Hence the false positive result for syphilis. In such cases, to obtain reliable results, a repeated test is carried out – the determination in the biomaterial not of antibodies, but of the pathogen itself (treponema).

However, it is impossible to determine latent syphilis or its late forms by direct methods, therefore, in clinical practice, they are used exclusively to confirm the diagnosis.How to take a blood test for latent syphilis? For this purpose, indirect methods are used, for example, the well-known RW (Wasserman reaction). However, more modern methods are now used: the microprecipitation reaction (RMP) and the RPR test (RPR).

Treatment of syphilis

With timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment at the first stage, recovery is possible within 2-3 weeks. If the disease is started, then the treatment can take two years, so it is important to diagnose syphilis in a timely manner.Women should be especially attentive to their health – their syphilis often proceeds in a latent form, and characteristic symptoms appear only in the later stages.

Main directions of drug therapy:

• antibiotics of the penicillin group;
• antihistamines;
• vitamins;
• biostimulants.

Since the invention of penicillin, antibiotics of this group have been the drugs of choice.Medicines of high activity include Bitsillin-1, Retarpen, Extensillin. In case of intolerance to this series of antibiotics, drugs of the reserve group are prescribed – tetracyclines and macrolides. Vitamins and biostimulants are prescribed to increase the body’s defenses. It is necessary to take into account the possibility of developing vaginal candidiasis when using high doses of antibiotics. Women are given antifungal therapy in parallel. Non-specific treatment (pyrotherapy, autohemotherapy) is indicated for malignant and recurrent disease.Treatment of syphilis in women during pregnancy is carried out with drugs of the penicillin group, which is relatively safe for both the mother and the unborn child.

Self-medication for syphilis is unacceptable, as it can lead to the development of resistant forms of the pathogen. Timely referral to a dermatovenerologist and properly selected therapy allow you to completely defeat the disease.

Related services:
Consultation of an infectious disease specialist
Laboratory blood tests

Fee for frivolity

Venus, the goddess of love – it is with her name that venereal diseases are associated, although they have the most distant relation to love.Sexually transmitted diseases are often the result of promiscuous behavior and a frivolous attitude towards their health, the victims of which are innocent loved ones of the patient. Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis, genital herpes – this is a far from complete list of sexually transmitted diseases. If these diseases are not treated, the consequences can be the most sad.

Especially dangerous and insidious is syphilis, which has the ability to especially disguise itself as other diseases.The chief dermatovenerologist of the city, the deputy chief physician of the Regional Skin and Venereal Diseases Dispensary No. 3, Marina Yuryevna VASILKOVA tells about this.

According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), venereal diseases include four diseases, two of which are found in our territory – syphilis and gonorrhea. Other diseases – chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, trichomaniasis, etc., currently there are more than 20, are called sexually transmitted infections.This also includes HIV infection. Every year, new sexually transmitted infections are discovered, i.e. their number will grow.

Syphilis is a marker of well-being or, conversely, disadvantage in the region for sexually transmitted infections. According to the results of the last 2 years, the incidence of syphilis in Chelyabinsk slightly exceeds the incidence rate in the region. Most often, syphilis affects people of sexually active age – from 20 to 40 years. This is the fertile age when a woman is ready to have a baby.In Chelyabinsk, every fifth woman with syphilis was pregnant at the time the disease was detected. Another alarming fact is the high incidence of syphilis among children and adolescents who have contracted primarily sexually. Syphilis was and remains a serious disease that affects all organs and systems of the human body. Today, this disease is recorded among quite prosperous, and not only asocial, strata of the population.

Unfortunately, if syphilis is not treated in time, intrauterine infection of the fetus and the birth of a sick child is possible.The reason for the development of congenital syphilis is the ignorance of the requirements of doctors by pregnant women who are irresponsible to their health. Many of them, even knowing about their pregnancy, are in no hurry to register with the antenatal clinic and undergo the necessary examination. With the timely registration of a pregnant woman, upon detection of syphilis, there will be enough time to cure both the woman herself and to prevent intrauterine infection of the fetus.

The manifestations of syphilis are primarily characterized by rashes on the skin and mucous membranes.And only a specialist dermatovenerologist with the help of laboratory tests can correctly diagnose. Therefore, I would like to warn those who like to be treated on the advice of friends or who draw medical knowledge from the Internet. In this case, self-medication is unacceptable, since syphilis can simulate any skin disease. The patient can be treated for years to no avail, not knowing the true cause of the disease.

The incubation (latent) period for syphilis lasts an average of 3 to 4 weeks.If during this period a person who has had contact with a patient with syphilis is given preventive treatment, he will not get sick.

The insidiousness of syphilis is that it is characterized by an undulating course without pain. The first sign of syphilis (chancre) most often appears on the genitals if there was sexual contact with a sick person. In women, only a gynecologist can sometimes detect a chancre. That is why it is so important that every woman undergoes a preventive examination twice a year.You can get infected with a completely innocent kiss if your partner had syphilitic rashes in the mouth. Therefore, the patient, as a rule, does not associate rashes on the lips (red border) with syphilis.

Hard chancre – occurs at the site of the introduction of the pathogen. This is a regular form of erosion or ulcer that does not bleed, itch, or hurt. When a scraping is taken, a huge amount of the causative agent of syphilis – pale treponema is found in it. 7 – 10 days after the appearance of the chancre, the nearby lymph nodes increase, usually the inguinal (bubo), if the ulcer is located on the genitals. “The bubo follows the chancre like a thread after a needle,” say the French. This is the primary period of syphilis.

Approximately 2 months after infection, the generalization of the process begins, when the causative agent of syphilis actively multiplies and spreads throughout the body, all groups of lymph nodes increase. Symptoms appear that resemble a flu-like condition, when the temperature rises, pains in the bones, body aches bother. This is the prodromal period, followed by the so-called secondary period of syphilis.If left untreated, the secondary period can last from 2 to 5 years. It is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations that patients take for a cold, an allergic disease, etc. and under any pretext postpones the visit to the doctor, self-medicating.

Hoarseness of the voice, rash on the body, the presence of nodules on the skin of the palms and soles, warty growths on the genitals, hair loss on the eyebrows and head (the type of fur battered by moths or even thinning of hair), the appearance of white spots on the skin of the neck, which already says on the defeat of the nervous system – this is an incomplete list of clinical manifestations of the secondary period of syphilis. This period is the most contagious, and at this time you can get infected from the patient through the household. Syphilis is now being treated successfully. And the earlier the dermatovenerologist made the diagnosis, the more favorable the prognosis. The disease is treated both on an outpatient basis and in a hospital. Children and adolescents, as well as pregnant women are hospitalized without fail. For those wishing to be treated anonymously, there is an anonymous office in our dispensary.

It’s time for vacations and vacations. It is in the summer, when a person allows himself to “relax”, he can lose control over his behavior, and we see the rise of sexually transmitted diseases.In recent years, mixed infections have often been encountered, when several STIs can be immediately infected from one person: syphilis, gonorrhea, Trichomonas or chlamydial infection at the same time, in a word, “as luck would have it.”

A frivolous attitude to one’s health, self-medication primarily affects reproductive health. In 92-98% of cases, sexually transmitted diseases are the cause of infertile marriages. Chlamydial infection is dangerous, which leads to impaired fertility in women (inability to become pregnant or carry a child, etc.)in men – to inflammatory processes, incl. prostatitis, which can also result in infertility and impotence.

A person decides for himself what choice to make. It is easy to lose health, but very difficult to regain it. And in order not to regret later, health must be taken care of and protected. Given the high incidence of STIs among adolescents, a teenage room for the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections has been opened at the dispensary. It operates on a budgetary basis and accepts children and adolescents from all over the city.The office is located in the branch of the polyclinic №2 at the address: Komsomolsky prospect, 66A.

A few simple rules of STI prevention should be remembered:

1. Use personal prophylaxis.
2. Timely passing of preventive examinations.
3. Regular visits to the gynecologist and early registration for pregnancy – for women.
4. In case of rashes on the skin or mucous membranes – consult a specialist.
5. Do not self-medicate under any circumstances!
6. If casual sexual contacts have taken place, it is recommended to undergo an examination.
7. If young people want to start a family, it is also recommended to be screened to exclude STIs.
8. If STIs are identified, be sure to inform your partner or transfer information about the partner to the attending physician.
9. Couples should be treated simultaneously and preferably in the same facility.
10. Strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations.

Intimate blow

I work with young people. As practice shows, unfounded conversations about morality are not effective; I would like to inform my patients about the prevalence and danger of STIs, referring to the authority of a specialist. O. BAKER, Minsk. What can indicate an infection with sexually transmitted diseases, in particular, syphilis? I am ashamed to go to the doctor. Is it possible to heal yourself, with folk remedies? R., Minsk.


Alexander NAVROTSKY, Associate Professor, Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases, Belarusian State Medical University:

– In total, more than 20 sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydial infection of the genitourinary organs, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, genital warts, ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis, genitourinary candidiasis, hepatitis B, and others. STIs. The presence of an STI in a person significantly increases the risk of contracting the most formidable infection – HIV.The causative agents of STIs are pathogenic microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, protozoa.

During sexual intercourse, infection is possible and parasitic diseases – scabies and pubic lice (lice).

In 2007, compared to 2006, the incidence of STIs in Belarus decreased: by 15. 7% – syphilis (2200 cases were registered), by 5.2% – by gonorrhea (5680), by 24.5% – by chlamydial infection of the urogenital tract (21404), by 24.6% – trichomoniasis (17809), 48.5% – anogenital herpes (1250 cases).

For each infection there is a certain incubation period (the time from the moment of infection to the onset of clinical symptoms of the disease): for example, with chlamydia and mycoplasmosis – up to 30 days, with gonorrhea, trichomoniasis – 3-5 days.

When infected with syphilis, a hard chancre appears after 3-4 weeks – a sore or erosion at the site of the pathogen’s penetration into the human body. After another 7-8 weeks, secondary syphilis develops, which is characterized by the appearance of rashes on the skin of the trunk, limbs, mucous membranes, possibly affecting the internal organs, nervous and skeletal systems.If the patient is not treated, after 3-5 years the tertiary period of syphilis begins, in which destructive irreversible lesions occur in organs and tissues.

Typical STI symptoms:

discharge from the urethra or rectum, in women – uncharacteristic vaginal discharge, for example, abundant or scanty, yellowish, or cheesy, purulent, purulent-mucous, accompanied by an unpleasant odor; spotting from the vagina between periods;

when urinating – cramps, itching, burning or discomfort; increased urination;

pain in the lower abdomen, in women – in the lumbar region, in men – in the testicular area;

painful sensations during intercourse;

sores, vesicles, erosion on the genitals, in the anus, in the oral cavity;

growths in the genital area, anus;

rash on the body, genitals, palms, soles;

enlargement of lymph nodes.

Symptoms may decrease or completely disappear even without treatment, but this does not indicate recovery, but the transition of the disease into a chronic form. Some diseases initially may not have pronounced signs, they are erased. You can not self-medicate and regard the symptoms of STIs as a “common” gynecological disease or as a cold after hypothermia.

The presence of these symptoms, especially if they appeared after casual sexual intercourse, is a good reason for contacting a doctor – an obstetrician-gynecologist, or a urologist at a territorial polyclinic, or a dermatovenerologist at a dermatovenerologic dispensary.

Treatment of venereal diseases is prescribed by a doctor; it is, as a rule, complex: antibiotic therapy, immunostimulating therapy, local. It is necessary to carefully follow all the doctor’s prescriptions, complete the full course and control laboratory examination. Treatment should not be interrupted – this can lead to a relapse of the disease in a more severe form. For the entire period of therapy and control observation, alcohol and sex are completely excluded.

Late treatment of STIs leads to the development of chronic inflammatory processes of the genital organs, which are the reasons for: decreased potency – in men; miscarriages, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, infertility in women, as well as genital cancer.

Most STIs are completely curable with timely access to a doctor and adequate treatment.

For the prevention of STIs, you should not take antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs by mouth – this leads to the development of candidiasis (thrush), but does not protect against infection.

Coming to a medical facility, a patient has the right to respectful attitude of the medical staff, observance of confidentiality (medical secrecy) in accordance with the law.In many dermatovenerologic dispensaries, there are paid offices for anonymous examination and treatment of STIs.

Increased risk factors: early onset of sexual activity, frequent change of partners, casual sex and communication with several partners at the same time without the use of individual prophylaxis.

The most reliable prevention of STIs is marital fidelity.

Medical Bulletin , July 18, 2008

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90,000 Syphilis and pregnancy

Pregnancy caused by syphilis or vice versa, syphilis during pregnancy can lead to tragic results. Pregnancy can result in late miscarriage (usually at 12-16 weeks), stillbirth, premature birth, the birth of children with early manifestations of syphilis or late symptoms of congenital syphilis and the birth of normal-looking children with persistently positive serological tests – laboratory parameters, with with the help of which syphilis is diagnosed. Symptoms of early congenital syphilis appear immediately after the birth of the baby.This disease is characterized by prematurity of the newborn, characteristic skin lesions, rhinitis (runny nose), damage to the bones, nervous system, liver, lungs. Such children gain weight very slowly, develop poorly, and often cannot suckle. They are restless, anxious, sleep poorly, cry almost constantly, sometimes emit a sharp, piercing cry. Death in such children can occur from pneumonia. The first symptoms of late congenital syphilis may appear 2 years after birth, but more often between the 7th and 14th years of a child’s life, before that no manifestations of the disease have been observed. Typical for late congenital syphilis are eye damage, deafness, and tooth damage. Since all organs and tissues were involved in the process, damage to all organs is possible. If a woman was diagnosed with syphilis during pregnancy, then, in order to avoid serious consequences of the disease for the mother and child, two courses of treatment are required: the first, the main one, is carried out only in hospitals, immediately after the diagnosis is made; the second, prophylactic, – in a hospital or outpatient.If syphilis is detected in the first and second trimester of pregnancy, then treatment is carried out twice: the first course – when the diagnosis is made, the second – at 20-24 weeks. At the moment, only a few commercial medical centers in Russia are licensed to treat syphilis. Some centers are closing or moving, and information becomes inaccessible to patients. This leads to the lack of the necessary clinical and serological monitoring of patients after syphilis treatment for a certain time (from 6 months to several years), the lack of medical documentation and the impossibility of obtaining various certificates and extracts about the diagnosis, treatment and test results. Therefore, treatment for syphilis is still recommended in public health facilities. If a commercial medical center was chosen, then it is necessary to keep for many years an extract with the diagnosis (the word “syphilis” is not a diagnosis – the stage of the disease must be determined), the name of the drug that was treated, and its dose. This can help other doctors deal with maternal and child health issues. I would especially like to note that for the treatment of syphilis during pregnancy, drugs are used that do not have a negative effect on the fetus. After the treatment, the disease stops its development, that is, primary syphilis does not turn into secondary, but secondary – into tertiary, damage to organs and tissues of treponema stops, there are no skin rashes and no further damage to the nervous system occurs. This means that there is no threat to the health of the pregnant woman. After completing the course of treatment, it becomes non-infectious. Modern methods of treating syphilis make it possible to prevent congenital syphilis in a child with a high probability if the disease is detected in a woman in the first two trimesters of pregnancy. There is no doubt that the detection of syphilis in a pregnant woman is an indication for treatment, and not for termination of pregnancy, if such is desired. After birth, the child is subject to mandatory testing for syphilis. If the diagnosis was made for the first time during pregnancy, then the treatment of a pregnant woman is usually carried out in a specialized maternity hospital or an infectious diseases hospital, childbirth is also carried out in a specialized maternity hospital or in the observation department of a regular maternity hospital. If the diagnosis “syphilis” was made before pregnancy and full treatment was carried out, then the risk of transmission of the infection to the child is lower, the more time has passed after treatment before pregnancy. It is believed that 2-3 years after treatment, the risk of infection becomes minimal, because after 2-3 years cure can be most likely guaranteed. The risk of infection of the child is determined by the doctor based on the results of the tests of the pregnant woman, and to prevent the occurrence of congenital syphilis in the child, prophylactic treatment of the mother is prescribed, if necessary. Typically, treatment is prescribed between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation. By this time, the placenta is fully formed, therefore, the treatment carried out after 20 weeks of pregnancy will be the most complete: the child will receive drugs through the placenta in full. A woman throughout her pregnancy remains epidemically harmless, that is, non-infectious. Childbirth can, at the request of the pregnant woman, be carried out in any maternity hospital and in any department (if there are documents confirming the diagnosis and treatment). There are several typical situations: If the infection occurred recently, a full course of treatment was carried out, but the reactions are still positive and the woman has not yet been removed from the register for syphilis, then during pregnancy, tests are taken once for each trimester, that is, tests are performed three times, but more more than healthy pregnant women, and at 20-24 weeks of pregnancy, prophylactic treatment is carried out. After birth, the child is subject to mandatory testing for syphilis. If the infection with syphilis occurred a long time ago and at the present time non-treponemal tests still remain positive (and the doctor speaks of the state of seroresistance after treated syphilis), then during pregnancy, tests are taken once for each trimester, and at 20-24 weeks of pregnancy preventive treatment is performed. When planning a pregnancy in these situations, additional treatment is recommended even before the onset of pregnancy. After birth, the child is subject to mandatory testing for syphilis. If the infection with syphilis occurred a long time ago and at present the non-treponemal tests are negative, then during pregnancy it is recommended to repeat the tests 3-4 times per pregnancy. In the absence of positive results on non-treponemal tests, treatment is not required. If there is even one positive test, prophylactic treatment can be carried out in the best interests of the child. After the birth of a child, recommendations are possible for his examination for syphilis. All doubtful cases are resolved in favor of the child, that is, additional treatment. If the father of the child is sick with syphilis, then first you need to figure out when the disease began and whether the father of the child received full treatment. Syphilis is transmitted to a child only from a sick mother in the second trimester of pregnancy, and the presence of untreated syphilis in the father is dangerous to the health of the mother and child. At conception, the child is not infected from the father. There are several typical situations: If the child’s father has recently been diagnosed with syphilis and has not yet undergone a course of treatment, then it is certainly dangerous for the health of both the pregnant woman and the child, and is subject to emergency treatment.Sexual intercourse should be avoided until treatment ends. If sometime in the past, the father of the child had syphilis, was fully treated and at the moment there are no positive non-treponemal tests (Wasserman reaction, RPR (RPR), VDRL (BDRL), EM or RMP are negative), then the father of the child cannot be a source of infection and safe for the health of the child and pregnant woman. If in the past the father of the child also had syphilis, full treatment was carried out, but at the moment there are positive non-treponemal tests, and more than a year has passed since the end of treatment, then this situation poses a danger primarily to the health of the man, who, possibly, additional treatment is required.For a pregnant woman and a child, it is not dangerous. For a baby whose mother has ever had syphilis, doctors are watching especially closely. If the baby shows signs of congenital syphilis, treatment is carried out immediately after delivery. In this case, the baby is transferred from the maternity hospital to a specialized infectious diseases hospital. Children who do not show signs of congenital syphilis are observed during the first year of life: the first analysis is taken immediately after childbirth from the umbilical cord, then studies are carried out every 3 months.In the first analysis, the presence of antibodies to the causative agent of syphilis is allowed: these are antibodies received by the child from the mother (by the way, like antibodies to any other infection). In the results of subsequent analyzes, the amount of antibodies is normally reduced. If this does not happen and the number of antibodies increases, this indicates that the child is infected. In this case, the baby also needs treatment in a specialized hospital. Interesting article? Share it with others:

Laboratory diagnostics of syphilis, syphilic infection in St. Petersburg

Syphilis is a dermatovenerological pathology, the main route of transmission of which is sexual.The microorganism that leads to the disease is treponema pale. As a result of its penetration into the body, there is a slow progression of pathology with asymptomatic first stages and a burdened course at the later stages of the process. The disease affects the entire body: syphilitic changes affect the internal organs and the nervous system, appear on the mucous membranes and skin, disrupt the work of the musculoskeletal structures. In addition to sexual transmission, treponema can be transmitted in everyday life.

There are several stages in the course of syphilis, each of which has its own symptoms and requires appropriate treatment.

How is the disease manifested?


The primary period of pathology is general intoxication, high fever, headache, lymphadenopathy.

With syphilis, a chancre is formed – a specific symptom of the disease. It is a painless skin lesion that is firm to the touch with a flat, lowered bottom.It is located in the place where there was contact with the carrier of the bacterium and the disease entered the body. The damage goes away on its own, after 1-1.5 months. After the chancre has appeared and passed on its own, the secondary stage sets in, accompanied by headache, rash, hyperthermia and malaise. Periods of exacerbations are replaced by remissions. This is followed by the third stage, in which the lesions reach the internal organs and the nervous system.

It is necessary to confirm or exclude the presence of pathology in such cases:

• casual sex;
• stage of preparation for surgical treatment;
• planning the conception of a child;
• onset of symptoms of syphilis – for differential diagnosis;
• preventive examination;
• Obtaining medical records before going to work.

Go to analyzes

Types of diagnostics for syphilis


Below are the various methods for determining the disease and their description.

Non-treponemal tests

This type of diagnosis is based on the determination of antibodies that the patient’s body produces in response to lipids, which are areas of the treponema membrane.These antibodies can appear in the body 1-2 weeks after the chancre has formed on the skin, which corresponds to 4-5 weeks after the entry of the microorganism into the internal environment.

The method is screening, that is, express diagnostics, which does not require much time and money. This is like the primary determination of the need for further diagnosis, and not confirmation of syphilis.

Also, these tests are used for dynamic diagnostics in the course of treatment – to confirm the fact of successful treatment.

Non-treponemal tests often give a false negative result. The method does not have high sensitivity at some stages of the process. Also, false positive reactions can be observed, therefore, such a diagnosis in any case requires an additional examination.

Treponemal methods

The technique is based on the same principle as the previous one. The difference lies in the fact that the antigen in this case is treponema. An inactivated pathogen, purified or ultrasonic, is taken for analysis.The technique is more costly and time-consuming to use. There are modifications: immunofluorescence, agglutination, enzyme immunoassay, immunoblotting.

This type of research is more accurate than the previous group of tests. They are used to confirm the diagnosis, but there are also some that give a false result.

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are based on the creation of a complex of antigens and antibodies. The carrier of syphilis is in this case on a specific carrier, and blood serum is applied to them. If there are antibodies in the serum, a complex is formed. A special labeling technique is used, due to which the amount of antibodies is determined by the color of the reagent.

The method of immunofluorescence is based on the property of the pathogen to glow in the presence of antibodies in the blood preparation.

The immunoblotting method has a high diagnostic accuracy, it is one of the most modern treponemal tests. It is used to exclude or confirm a diagnosis.It is possible to determine not only the fact of presence, but also the type of antibodies, which is important for determining the stage of the process. The technique is used in asymptomatic cases and it shows real results. The technique is not used to monitor the state in dynamics – it is used to confirm the diagnosis.

Serological tests

This type of diagnostics is used for broad purposes. With its help, it is possible to carry out preventive examinations, diagnosis at different stages, determination of the fact of recovery, dynamic observation and control of therapy. A feature of serological techniques is the study of immune changes and the nature of antibodies.

The method is based on the antigenic structure of the pathogen.

There are protein antigens, they are common to several types of treponema. Accordingly, group antibodies are formed against them, as well as individual ones – specific. Antibodies against protein antigens appear in the early stages: at the end of the incubation period and within 6-7 days after the formation of the chancre.

Antibodies to polysaccharide antigens are not so informative and important in diagnosis, therefore they are little taken into account when making a diagnosis.

There is a third group of antigens – lipid antigens. They can be determined at 5-6 weeks of illness. As you can see, different antibodies make it possible to roughly determine the stage of the process and are suitable for diagnostics at different times.

Antibodies of group M are produced first, they correspond to the acute stage of the process. At the height of the infectious process, the type of antibodies changes from M to G. There are also antibodies A, of which not so many are produced. Depending on the stage of the process, certain antibodies are produced that are important in the pronostical sense.

There are specific and nonspecific antibodies – they are called reagins and anti-treponemal antibodies, respectively. It is because of the presence of reagins that a false reaction to syphilis occurs. They also distinguish antibodies specific for certain species and groups of the pathogen.There are reactions that are different in specificity and sensitivity. They are used in a complex and several times. There are lipid, complement and sedimentary reactions.

There are express reactions for the mass determination of syphilis. They are carried out in hospitals and outpatient clinics, but they are not used to control the process and before pregnancy. There are micro-reactions that are carried out on glass – the test is highly sensitive and fast. The method is fast, effective, requires a small volume of blood – a few drops.Hemagglutination is also used, which has a high sensitivity at different stages, with treated and untreated cases.

Wasserman reaction

The standard serological test, developed back in 1906. The first reaction in the history of the diagnosis of syphilis, which is still used today. It is a definition of complement binding. There are modifications with anti-lipid and treponemal antigens.

The reaction is insensitive at the very beginning of the disease, as well as in the tertiary stage.There are other dubious points about its reliability, depending on the stage and availability of treatment. Sedimentary reactions are carried out according to the same method, but at different concentrations.

What are false positives? This is a positive reaction in those who were not sick or sick at the time of the examination. It is possible to determine that the reaction is false by the fact that reagins are found in the blood, but there are no immobilisins. A false reaction can be with infectious pathology, inflammation of a different nature, metabolic disorders, poisoning, pregnancy, oncopathology.The problem may also lie in the technical shortcomings of the reactions.

Immunofluorescence reaction

This analysis is based on the principle of using fluorescent markers, which are manifested during the formation of antigen-antibody complexes. A medium containing antigenic strains is added to the laboratory material. If there is an infection in the body, the serum contains antibodies. They form immune complexes and this manifests itself in the form of a reaction.

Preparation for the analysis is standard – restriction of food and fluid intake 12 hours before delivery. The reaction is carried out in 2 phases. It is considered positive in the presence of fluorescent complexes.

Reaction of immune adhesion

The technique is based on the reaction between the causative agent of the disease and the patient’s blood serum. If a person has syphilis, tissue receptors for treponema are adsorbed on the surface of red blood cells.A characteristic suspension is formed, which is easy to determine when setting up a reaction. The method is moderately complex, since it is necessary to adhere to quantitative calculations and the time frame of the analysis. If the analysis is of poor quality, unreliable results may be formed.

Reaction of immobilization of pale treponema

The reaction belongs to serological methods. It is based on the property of the patient’s serum with pathology to inhibit the movement of the causative agent of syphilis.In a healthy person, serum does not have these properties. It can be used to distinguish between the results of those who passed the tests and received false positive results. Opens up the possibility of diagnosing the latent form of the disease. It is widely used in the modern world. A positive test is considered when treponema is immobilized.

Reaction by immunofluorescence adsorption of pale treponema

It is a modification of the immunofluorescence response that uses serum and capillary blood.It is accompanied by the attachment of treponema to the cell surface, which confirms a positive result and indicates the presence of a disease.

Hemagglutination reaction

The method is based on the property of accumulation of erythrocyte conglomerates, on the surface of which antibodies to treponema accumulate. Staging occurs only in the presence of developed antibodies, that is, in those patients who are carriers of the pathogen and in whose body an immune response has occurred.The analysis is quite sensitive and highly accurate. It is widely used in modern diagnostics of syphilis, as well as to control the course of the disease. Preparation – limiting food intake 12 hours before the procedure, quitting smoking and alcohol, strong tea and coffee. If agglutination is observed, the result is considered positive.

Immunoassay

Most often used in the diagnosis of a disease. The task of the analysis is to determine the presence of immune complexes, which consist of antibodies and antigens.A solid carrier is used on which syphilis antigens are collected in laboratory conditions. These reagents are standard and are used in this procedure. If there are antibodies in the serum, which are formed during illness, a reaction is formed and it can be determined under a microscope. Reaction modification using specific enzymes that speed up the reaction and make the results more pronounced.

Polymerase chain reaction

A modern technique based on the detection of mycobacterium nucleic acid elements.Individual strands of the pathogen’s genetic material can be programmed and a projection of the pathogen’s DNA can be created. Refers to genetic and molecular research. No special training is required.