Syphilis

Question 1

What causes syphilis?

Answer 1

Treponema pallidum

Question 2

What is the incubation period for syphilis?

Answer 2

9-90 days

Question 3

What is the disease progression?

Answer 3

It has primary, secondary and tertiary stages.

Question 4

What are the primary features of syphilis?

Answer 4

• Chancre - painless ulcer at the site of sexual contact.
• Local non-tender lymphadenopathy

These are often not even seen in women.

Question 5

What are the secondary features of syphilis?

Answer 5

• Systemic symptoms: fevers, lymphadenopathy.
• Rash on trunk, palms and soles.
• Buccal snail track ulcers (30%)
• Condylomata lata (wart like condition on the genitrals)

Question 6

What is this?

Answer 6

Buccal ‘snail track’ ulcers (30%)

Question 7

What is this?

Answer 7

Condylomata lata

Question 8

When does secondary syphilis occur?

Answer 8

6 to 10 weeks after primary infection

Question 9

Answer 9

Question 10

What are the tertiary features of syphilis?

Answer 10

• Gummas (granulomatous lesions of the skin and bones)
• Ascending aortic aneurysms
• General paralysis of the insane
• Tabes dorsalis (syphilitic myelopathy)
• Argyll-Robertson pupil (prostitutes pupil - accomodates but doesn’t react)

Question 11

What is this?

Answer 11

A syphilitic gumma

Question 12

What is an argyll robertson pupil?

Answer 12

It is associated with neurosyphilis. It accomodates to a near object but does not constrict with light or dilate with no light.

Question 13

What are some features of congenital syphilis?

Answer 13

• Blunted upper incisor teeth (Hutchinson’s teeth), ‘mulberry’ molars
• Rhagades (fissures, cracks, or linear scars in the skin, especially at the angles of the mouth and nose)
• Keratitis
• Saber shins
• Saddle nose
• Deafness

Question 14

What is this?

Answer 14

Hutchinson’s teeth

Question 15

What is this?

Answer 15

A saber shin - shaped like a saber sword.