Congenital Syphilis

00:01 Let’s move on to syphilis.

00:03 Syphilis is caused by the spirochete, Treponema pallidum.

00:08 In the United States, we are having currently a rising epidemic of syphilis.

00:14 The highest transmission to the fetus is if the mother has secondary syphilis.

00:20 Primary syphilis is less likely to transfer, but it still can.

00:24 So if a mother has secondary syphilis, we worry about that baby.

00:29 The baby can present with a variety of symptoms.

00:33 They may be asymptomatic or they may be dead on presentations.

00:37 So stillbirth is possible, but also, more than 60% will be completed asymptomatic at birth.

00:44 But watch out, they may later present with a second or a third staged disease syphilis.

00:52 So a child may be asymptomatic at birth, and then at few years of age, develops secondary syphilis.

00:59 So early findings in syphilis include hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, rash, a rhinitis or syphilitic snuffles, or they may have metaphyseal lucencies on radiography.

01:14 That can be a classic x-ray finding.

01:17 Later findings include Hutchinson teeth, which are notched teeth.

01:24 Hearing loss, a saddle nose deformity, or Saber shins, which are sharpened shins in the front from hematopoiesis.

01:35 Or they may also get developmental delay.