Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- 161 Syphilis and Other Treponematoses
- 162 Lyme Disease
- 163 Relapsing Fever
- 164 Leptospirosis
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
161 - Syphilis and Other Treponematoses
from Part XIX - Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- 161 Syphilis and Other Treponematoses
- 162 Lyme Disease
- 163 Relapsing Fever
- 164 Leptospirosis
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
Summary
Treponemes are members of the family Spirochaetaceae, which also contains Borrelia and Leptospira. Although most treponemes do not cause disease in human beings, a few cause substantial morbidity. This chapter briefly reviews the clinical manifestations and treatment of syphilis in adults and the nonvenereal treponematoses, yaws, pinta, and bejel.
SYPHILIS
Clinical Manifestations
Like other treponemal diseases, the clinical manifestations of syphilis are divided into early and late stages. Early syphilis is further divided into primary, secondary, and early latent stages. During the latent syphilis stage, patients have positive serologic tests for syphilis but no other signs of disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies patients in the latent stage as having early syphilis if they acquired infection during the preceding year. Otherwise, persons with latent disease are classified as having either late latent syphilis or latent syphilis of unknown duration. Although clinical staging is useful for diagnosis and treatment, it is also imprecise; overlap between stages is relatively common.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SYPHILIS
Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, usually enters the body through breaks in the epithelium that occur during sexual contact. Some organisms persist at the site of entry, whereas others disseminate via the lymphatic system throughout the body, proliferating and stimulating an immune response. The incubation period of primary syphilis is usually about 21 days, although extremes of 10 to 90 days have been noted.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Clinical Infectious Disease , pp. 1121 - 1126Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008