Related articles: Syphilis
Definition
Syphilis is a disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum . This spirochete (spiral-shaped bacterium) penetrates the body through the mucous membranes or the skin, reaches the peripheral lymph nodes and rapidly spreads to the whole organism. After infection, T. pallidum is present in the patient's blood and in all other bodily secretions, but is concentrated above all in the lesions it causes on the skin and genitals. For this reason, the infection is usually transmitted by sexual contact, through contact with the skin or from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy or childbirth.
Most common symptoms and signs *
- Tinnitus
- Tinnitus
- Alopecia
- anisocoria
- Anorexia
- Aortite
- Apathy
- Asthenia
- Muscular atrophy and paralysis
- Muscular atrophy
- Testicular atrophy
- Increase in the ESR
- calli
- Seizures
- dactylitis
- Dementia
- Difficulty concentrating
- Bladder dysfunction
- Temporal and spatial disorientation
- Dyspnoea
- Pain in the penis
- Bone pain
- Anal pain
- Articolar pains
- Muscle pains
- Hepatitis
- Hepatomegaly
- Rash
- Temperature
- Glossitis
- Swelling, redness, heat or pain on palpation of the scrotum
- Hydrops Fetal
- Insomnia
- hyperreflexia
- Hearing loss
- Hypoaesthesia
- infertility
- Lymphangitis
- lymphadenitis
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Inflated tongue
- Yellow tongue
- Livedo Reticularis
- Stomach ache
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Meningitis
- Metrorrhagia
- Nausea
- papules
- Memory loss
- Loss of coordination of movements
- Weight loss
- Throat Plates
- Polyhydramnios
- Proteinuria
- Stiffness in the muscles of the back and neck
- Bone Sclerosis
- Nephrotic syndrome
- splenomegaly
- Confusional state
- Skin Ulcers
- Articular Pouring
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
Further indications
The course of syphilis is broken down into three symptomatic and sequential clinical phases, separated by periods in which the infection is asymptomatic and latent.
The initial stage of infection ( primary syphilis ) begins about 3-4 weeks after infection. At the point of entry of Treponema pallidum appears a lesion called sifiloma : it is a red papule with a solid base and a rounded shape, usually painless. The syphiloma rapidly forms an ulcer, exposing a bright red background, from which a serous exudate emerges that contains numerous spirochetes. In humans, this lesion appears more frequently at the level of the penis, anus, or rectum (depending on where the infection occurred); in women, it can arise on vulva, vagina and perineum; in both sexes, other possible sites of appearance are the lips and inside the oral cavity. Approximately one week after the appearance of the syphiloma, the neighboring lymph nodes increase in volume. The symptoms of the first stage tend to disappear after 4-6 weeks, even without treatment.
After an initial onset, the disease manifests itself with skin and genital lesions, accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Secondary syphilis begins 3-6 weeks after syphiloma and is characterized by systemic manifestations due to the proliferation and spread of T. pallidum throughout the body, including fever, weakness, neck stiffness, headache, behavioral alterations and general malaise. As anticipated, the most important symptoms of secondary syphilis, however, occur at the level of skin, mucous membranes and appendages: a generalized rash appears which can have a very variable appearance. For example, small red, roundish and widespread spots may arise, reminiscent of the typical rash of measles. These manifestations also disappear spontaneously after a few weeks. The patient, after the regression of the secondary phase, then enters a long latency period, which can last months or even years. During this period, the patient has no symptoms, but the infection and contagiousness remain.
When T. pallidum "reactivates" ( tertiary phase ) it can cause permanent damage to the heart, bones, skin and other organs. However, in tertiary syphilis the most important manifestations are in the central nervous system. In its final phase, progressive degeneration can damage the brain and spinal cord, causing personality changes, dementia and progressive paralysis, leading to the patient's death.
Syphilis can be diagnosed at any stage with serological tests and additional analysis. The antibiotic therapy of choice is based on penicillin. Only in patients who are allergic to this active ingredient do you use other drugs, such as doxycycline and tetracycline. Therapy, of course, is more effective if it is started in the early stages.
