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
• Late

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

• Incubation period approximately 3-90 day
• Manifests as papule which breaks to form painless chancre
• May be associated with lypmphadenopathy
• Usual site of involvement is genitalia
• Other sites of involvement include anus, vagina and posterior pharynx.
• Spontaneous resoultion in 3 to 6 weeks

Secondary

• Develops weeks to months after chancre
• Manifests with constitutional sypmtoms such as fever, headache, malaise, lymphadenopathy
• Characteristic rash called condyloma lata, diffuse

Latent syphilis

• Early latent
• Late latent

Tertiary or gummatous syphilis

• Cardiovascular
• CNS

• Asymptomatic
• Meningiovascular
• Tabes dorsalis
• Parenchymatous

• Other