Syphilis

Syphilis has been called the “great imitator” because it produces symptoms and signs that can be confused with other diseases. The disease has several stages:

• Primary syphilis
• Secondary syphilis
• Tertiary syphilis
• Syphilis quaternary

This disease can also be divided into early or early syphilis which includes primary and secondary and late syphilis including tertiary and quaternary.

The symptoms of syphilis are the appearance of an open sore called a chancre painless and is present on the genitals, mouth, skin, rectum or vagina. The appearance of the chancre usually occurs about three weeks after exposure, but sometimes appears later. The lymph nodes in the region become inflamed and if no treatment in a period between 3 and 6 weeks both the chancre disappears as swollen glands. Failure to properly treat the disease can progress to more advanced stages and give major complications.

Secondary syphilis phase usually occurs between 2 and 8 weeks after the chancre appears, but sometimes the two phases may occur simultaneously. Secondary syphilis is characterized by a rash that can vary in appearance and that affects skin and mucous membranes and usually causes no pain or itching. This rash usually also affect the palms and soles of the feet. At this stage there is a passage of Treponema pallidum the bloodstream so it can also appear systemic symptoms such as fever, malaise, arthralgia or myalgia, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, weight loss and fatigue.

After secondary phase enters a latent phase of syphilis in which symptoms disappear and they can last for many years. This person will still have syphilis even without any symptoms. If left untreated secondary syphilis Treponema pallidum reproduces and accumulates in various tissues such as bone, skin and mucous membranes, nerve tissue, the heart and the arteries leading to the following:

• The skin lesions are called rubbers, which start as rounded nodules that fistulizan ulceration and eventually form circular. In mucosal usually located on the palate, pharynx, larynx and nasal septum.
• In bone can also give gums that produce new bone nodules formed evident on radiographs, especially the skull, face, warm and clavicles.
• Cardiovascular lesions occur in 12% of cases of tertiary syphilis and mainly affect the wall of the aorta and aortic valve. The lesions in the aorta leading to significant expansion of this blood vessel called aneurysms that have a very high risk of rupture.
• In the central nervous system can lead to inflammation of the meninges are the membranes covering the brain causing meningitis.

Quaternary syphilis is characterized by a condition called tabes dorsalis, more common in men, affecting the spine with altered sensitivity to incoordinaciones motor. In addition there may be an optic nerve atrophy that progresses to blindness. Quaternary Syphilis can also cause progressive dementia that begins insidiously and progresses toward excessive euphoria or deep depressions.