Flashcards in Syphilis Deck (77)
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1
What is syphilis?
An STI caused by Treponema pallidum
2
What type of organism is Treponema pallidum?
Spiochete gram-negative bacteria
3
How many cases of syphilis were diagnosed in the UK in 2015?
5,000
4
What is happening to the incidence of syphilis?
Increasing
5
What groups is incidence of syphilis markedly increasing in?
High risk groups e.g. MSM
6
What other conditions can be caused by other types of Treponemes?
- Bejel
- Yaws
- Pinta
7
What is Bejel?
A chronic skin and tissues disease
8
What is Yaws?
A disease of the bones and joints
9
What is Pinta?
A skin disease
10
How are other Treponeme diseases spread?
Any close contact but not mother to foetus
11
What does the increasing rates of syphilis in MSM suggest?
They still have high rates of condomless sex
12
How can syphilis be transmitted?
- Sexual transmission
- Mother to foetus via placenta
- Infected blood products
13
What is it called if a foetus gets syphilis across the placenta?
Congenital syphilis
14
How does Treponema pallidum enter the host?
Through breaks in the skin or intact mucous membranes
15
What forms at the site of contact in syphilis after an incubation period of 2-3 weeks?
Infectious hard ulcer (chancre)
16
What is the chancre in syphilis an indicator of?
The first stage of acquired symptomatic syphilis - Primary syphilis
17
What can happen if syphilis is left untreated?
T. pallidum can persist and cause systemic damage via obliterating arteritis
18
What is obliterating arteritis?
Where the endothelial cells of the vessels excessively proliferate causing lumen of the vessels to narrow
19
What can occur as a result of obliterating arteritis?
Ischaemia at the tissues supplied by the arteries which leads to symptoms associated with syphilis
20
What are the risk factors for syphilis?
- Unprotected sex
- Multiple partners
- MSM
- HIV infection
21
What are the two types of syphilis?
- Acquired
- Congenital
22
What are the forms of acquired syphilis?
- Asymptomatic (latent)
- Symptomatic
23
What are the stages of symptomatic syphilis?
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
24
What forms the basis of primary syphilis?
Chancre formation
25
How does the chancre form in primary syphilis?
A papule forms at the inoculation site which will ulcerate into a chancre
26
What is a chancre?
A painless ulcer that is usually singular, hard and non-itchy
27
When does a chancre develop after inoculation with syphilis?
9-90 days post infection
28
Where does the syphilis chancre present?
- Penis
- Scrotum
- Anus
- Rectum
- Labia
- Cervix
29
What is an atypical syphilis chancre?
- One that appears on unusual sites e.g. oral
- Multiple
- Painful
30
