Syphilis classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aysha Anwar, M.B.B.S[2]

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Overview

Syphilis may be classified according to the development of disease into 2 groups: congenital and acquired. Acquired syphilis may be classified further into 5 subtypes: primary, secondary, latent and tertiary syphilis.

Classification

There is no established clasification system for syphilis. However, it may be classified into following subtypes

Congenital

• Early

• Manifests before 2 years of age

• Late

• Manifests after 2 years of age

Acquired

• Mode of transmission is direct contact with infectious lesion
• It may spread by sexual intercouse, touching and kissing a person having active lesions

Primary

• Manifests as papule which breaks to form painless chancre
• Lasts for 3 to 6 weeks

Secondary

• Develops weeks to months after chancre
• Manifests with constitutional sypmtoms such as fever, headache, malaise, lymphadenopathy and characteristic rash called condyloma lata
• Lasts 1-6 months

Latent syphilis

• Early latent

• Asymptomatic < 12 years

• Late latent

• Asymptomatic >12 years

Tertiary or gummatous syphilis

• Cardiovascular
• CNS

• Asymptomatic
• Meningiovascular
• Tabes dorsalis
• Parenchymatous

• Other