congenital syphilis (redirected from Syphilis, congenital)

syphilis /syph·i·lis/ (sif´ĭ-lis) a venereal disease caused by Treponema pallidum, leading to many structural and cutaneous lesions, transmitted by direct sexual contact or in utero. See primary s., secondary s., and tertiary s. syphilit´ic

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congenital syphilis  syphilis acquired in utero, manifested by any of several characteristic malformations of teeth or bones and by active mucocutaneous syphilis at birth or shortly thereafter, and by ocular or neurologic changes.

endemic syphilis , nonvenereal syphilis a chronic inflammatory infection caused by a treponema morphologically indistinguishable from Treponema pallidum, transmitted nonsexually; the early stage is marked by mucous patches and by moist papules in the axillae and skin folds; a latent stage and finally late complications, including gummata, follow.

primary syphilis  syphilis in its first stage, the primary lesion being a chancre, which is infectious and painless; the nearby lymph nodes become hard and swollen.

secondary syphilis  syphilis in the second of three stages, with fever, multiform skin eruptions (syphilids), iritis, alopecia, mucous patches, and severe pain in the head, joints, and periosteum.

tertiary syphilis  late generalized syphilis, with involvement of many organs and tissues, including skin, bones, joints, and cardiovascular and central nervous systems; see also tabes dorsalis.

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congenital syphilis

n.

Syphilis acquired by the fetus in utero.

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congenital syphilis

Etymology: L, congenitus, born with; Gk, syn, together, philein, to love

a form of syphilis acquired in utero, caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. Nearly 50% of infected infants die shortly before or after birth. It is generally characterized by osteitis, rashes, coryza, and wasting in the first months of life. Later childhood signs of the infection include interstitial keratitis, deafness, and notches in the incisor teeth (called Hutchinson's teeth). Some infected infants may appear disease-free at birth, but typical signs of the disease develop in adolescence. Infants are treated with penicillin; all infected infants require an ophthalmic examination. If untreated, the infection may cause deafness, blindness, crippling, or death.

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syphilis (sif´ilis) (lues),

n a sexually transmitted disease caused by
T. pallidum and usually transmitted by direct contact. Oral lesions include primary chancre, secondary mucous patches and split papule, and tertiary gumma.

syphilis, congenital,

n a type that is transmitted prenatally by the mother to the fetus. Congenital syphilis may lead to Hutchinson's incisors, mulberry molars, or rhagades. See also chancre; gumma; incisors, Hutchinson's; molar, mulberry; patch, mucous; and Treponema pallidum.

Congenital syphilis.

syphilis, latent,

n a stage in which no clinical signs or symptoms of the disease are present. It is usually discovered by serologic tests.

syphilis, primary,

n a stage characterized by the appearance of a small painless pustule on the skin of a mucous membrane within 10 to 90 days after exposure. The lesion may appear anywhere on the body where contact with a lesion on an infected person has occurred, but it is most often seen in the anogenital region. It quickly erodes, forming a painless, bloodless ulcer, called a
chancre, exuding a fluid that swarms with spirochetes. The disease is highly contagious during this stage.

Primary syphilis.

syphilis, secondary,

n a stage that occurs about 2 months after the primary stage. Secondary syphilis is characterized by general malaise, anorexia, nausea, fever, headache, alopecia, bone and joint pain, or the appearance of a morbilliform rash that does not itch, flat white sores in the oral cavity and throat, and condylomata lata papules on the moist areas of the skin. The disease is highly contagious during this stage.

Secondary syphilis.

syphilis, tertiary,

n stage may not develop for 3 to 15 years after the initial infection. It is characterized by the appearance of soft, rubbery tumors, called
gummas; the valves of the heart may be damaged, and late stages may lead to mental or physical disability and premature death.

Tertiary syphilis.

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congenital syphilis

Congenital lues, fetal syphilis Neonatology Transplacental infection with Treponema pallidum Clinical Early–hepatomegaly, irritability, FTT, fever, perioral and genital rash–condyloma lata, nasal discharge or snuffles and saddle nose; late–Hutchinson's teeth, saber shins, neurologic impairment, deafness, blindness Lab ↑ liver enzymes, anemia, monocytosis Diagnosis Serologic tests performed at birth may be negative. Cf Syphilis.