Congenital syphilis overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
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Overview
Congenital syphilis is syphilis present in utero and at birth, and occurs when a child is born to a mother with secondary or tertiary syphilis. Untreated syphilis results in a high risk of a bad outcome of pregnancy. Syphilis can cause miscarriages, premature births, stillbirths, or death of newborn babies. Some infants with congenital syphilis have symptoms at birth, but most develop symptoms later. Untreated babies can have deformities, delays in development, or seizures along with many other problems such as rash, fever, swollen liver and spleen, anemia, and jaundice. Sores on infected babies are infectious. Rarely, the symptoms of syphilis go unseen in infants so that they develop the symptoms of late-stage syphilis, including damage to their bones, teeth, eyes, ears, and brain.[1]
Historical Perspective
Congenital syphilis was first described in an English 17th century pediatric textbook, although Paracelsus, who lived from 1493 until 1541, first suggested it in utero transmission. Transplacental transmission from an asymptomatic infected mother was first described in 1906. Sir Jonathan Hutchinson described the triad of notched incisors, interstitial keratitis, and eighth cranial nerve deafness as a criterion for diagnosis of congenital syphilis.[2]
References
- ↑ http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/stdsyph.htm accessed 10/17/2006
- ↑ "MedLink". Retrieved 2012-12-20.