Abstract
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete that can be congenitally transmitted from the mother to the fetus and may result in stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, and many other clinical manifestations. Its manifestations can occur early and/or belatedly. There is no ideal test that alone confirms the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. The diagnostic criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classify newborns in four different scenarios in which congenital infection is proven/highly probable, possible, less likely, or unlikely. This classification will guide the need for additional tests and the therapeutic regimen. Infants who have reactive serologic tests for syphilis or were born to mothers who were seroreactive at delivery must be monitored every 2 or 3 months.
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Abbreviations
- CDC:
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- CSF:
-
Cerebrospinal fluid
- RIT:
-
Rabbit infective test
- RPR:
-
Rapid Plasma Reagin
- STI:
-
Sexually transmitted infection
- VDRL:
-
Venereal Disease Research Laboratory
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Glossary
- Dark-field microscopy
-
Light and electron microscopy exam for direct demonstration of the microorganism.
- Hutchinson’s teeth
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Smaller and more widely spaced teeth, notched on their biting surfaces.
- Parrot’s pseudoparalysis
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Failure to move an extremity secondary to pain.
- Syphilitic pemphigus
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Bullous skin eruption caused by syphilis infection that resembles pemphigus lesions.
- Vertically transmitted
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Disease transmitted from the mother to the fetus.
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Melo, R.C.C., Colvero, M.O., Bonamigo, R.R. (2023). Congenital Syphilis. In: Rangel Bonamigo, R. (eds) Dermatology in Public Health Environments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13505-7_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13505-7_13
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