eMedicine Specialties > Infectious Diseases > Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Syphilis: Multimedia

Author: Peter F Liu, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Virginia Hospital Center Arlington
Coauthor(s): Brian Euerle, MD, FACEP, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Director of Emergency Ultrasound Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Pranatharthi Haran Chandrasekar, MD, Director of Infectious Disease Fellowship, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Harper Hospital, Wayne State University School of Medicine
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: May 21, 2009

Multimedia

Syphilis. These photographs depict the characteri...Media file 1: Syphilis. These photographs depict the characteristic chancre observed in primary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. These photographs depict the characteri...

Syphilis. These photographs depict the characteristic chancre observed in primary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

Syphilis. These photographs show the disseminated...Media file 2: Syphilis. These photographs show the disseminated rash observed in secondary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. These photographs show the disseminated...

Syphilis. These photographs show the disseminated rash observed in secondary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

Syphilis. These photographs show close-up images ...Media file 3: Syphilis. These photographs show close-up images of gummas observed in tertiary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. These photographs show close-up images ...

Syphilis. These photographs show close-up images of gummas observed in tertiary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

Syphilis. This is a dark-field micrograph of spir...Media file 4: Syphilis. This is a dark-field micrograph of spirochetes. Used with permission from Murray P et al. Medical Microbiology. 2nd ed. Mosby; 1994.
Syphilis. This is a dark-field micrograph of spir...

Syphilis. This is a dark-field micrograph of spirochetes. Used with permission from Murray P et al. Medical Microbiology. 2nd ed. Mosby; 1994.

Syphilis. This photograph depicts primary syphili...Media file 5: Syphilis. This photograph depicts primary syphilis "kissing" lesions. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. This photograph depicts primary syphili...

Syphilis. This photograph depicts primary syphilis "kissing" lesions. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

Syphilis. Palmar lesions observed in secondary sy...Media file 6: Syphilis. Palmar lesions observed in secondary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. Palmar lesions observed in secondary sy...

Syphilis. Palmar lesions observed in secondary syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

These photographs illustrate examples of condylom...Media file 7: These photographs illustrate examples of condylomata lata. The lesions resemble genital warts (condylomata acuminata). Fluids exuding from these lesions are highly infectious. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
These photographs illustrate examples of condylom...

These photographs illustrate examples of condylomata lata. The lesions resemble genital warts (condylomata acuminata). Fluids exuding from these lesions are highly infectious. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

Syphilis. These photographs illustrate typical fa...Media file 8: Syphilis. These photographs illustrate typical facies of congenital syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. These photographs illustrate typical fa...

Syphilis. These photographs illustrate typical facies of congenital syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

Syphilis. This photograph shows an example of Hut...Media file 9: Syphilis. This photograph shows an example of Hutchinson teeth in congenital syphilis. Note notching. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. This photograph shows an example of Hut...

Syphilis. This photograph shows an example of Hutchinson teeth in congenital syphilis. Note notching. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

Syphilis. This photograph illustrates chorioretin...Media file 10: Syphilis. This photograph illustrates chorioretinitis of congenital syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.
Syphilis. This photograph illustrates chorioretin...

Syphilis. This photograph illustrates chorioretinitis of congenital syphilis. Used with permission from Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers Inc; 1989.

More on Syphilis

Overview: Syphilis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Syphilis
Treatment & Medication: Syphilis
Follow-up: Syphilis
Multimedia: Syphilis
References

References

  1. CDC. Primary and secondary syphilis--United States, 2003-2004. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. Mar 17 2006;55(10):269-73. [Medline].

  2. CDC. Summary of notifiable diseases, United States, 1997. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. Nov 20 1998;46(54):ii-vii, 3-87. [Medline].

  3. CDC. Trends - STD Surveillance 2006. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/trends2006.htm#syphilistrends.

  4. CDC. Penicillin Allergy-STD Treatment Guidelines 2006. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/penicillin-allergy.htm.

  5. Augenbraun M, Workowski K. Ceftriaxone therapy for syphilis: report from the emerging infections network. Clin Infect Dis. Nov 1999;29(5):1337-8. [Medline].

  6. Augenbraun MH, Rolfs R. Treatment of syphilis, 1998: nonpregnant adults. Clin Infect Dis. Jan 1999;28 Suppl 1:S21-8. [Medline].

  7. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for syphilis infection in pregnancy: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. May 19 2009;150(10):705-9. [Medline][Full Text].

  8. Bennett JC, Plum F. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 20th ed. WB Saunders Company; 1996:1705-13.

  9. Bordon J, Martinez-Vazquez C, de la Fuente-Aguado J. Response to standard syphilis treatment in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. Oct 1999;18(10):729-32. [Medline].

  10. CDC. Congenital syphilis, United States, 1998. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999;48(34):757-760. [Medline].

  11. CDC. Genital Ulcers-STD Treatment Guidelines 2006. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/genital-ulcers.htm#genulc6.

  12. CDC. Primary and secondary syphilis, United States, 1998. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999;48(39):873-8. [Medline].

  13. CDC. Syphilis - STD Surveillance 2006. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/syphilis.htm.

  14. Clinical Effectiveness Group. National guideline for the management of early syphilis. Sex Transm Infect. 1999;75 Suppl 1:S334-37. [Medline].

  15. Clinical Effectiveness Group. National guideline for the management of late syphilis. Sex Transm Infect. 1999;75 Suppl 1:S334-37. [Medline].

  16. Cotran RS, Kumar V. Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 4th ed. WB Saunders Co; 1989:368-71.

  17. DiCarlo RP, Martin DH. The clinical diagnosis of genital ulcer disease in men. Clin Infect Dis. Aug 1997;25(2):292-8. [Medline].

  18. Ernst AA, Romolo R, Nick T. Emergency department screening for syphilis in pregnant women without prenatal care. Ann Emerg Med. May 1993;22(5):781-5. [Medline].

  19. Hibbs JR, Ceglowski WS, Goldberg M. Emergency department-based surveillance for syphilis during an outbreak in Philadelphia. Ann Emerg Med. Aug 1993;22(8):1286-90. [Medline].

  20. Sheffield JS, Wendel GD Jr. Syphilis in pregnancy. Clin Obstet Gynecol. Mar 1999;42(1):97-106; quiz 174-5. [Medline].

  21. Sung L, MacDonald NE. Syphilis: a pediatric perspective. Pediatr Rev. Jan 1998;19(1):17-22. [Medline].

  22. Wisdom A. Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc; 1989:65-113.

Further Reading

Keywords

syphilis, primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, latent syphilis, congenital syphilis, tertiary syphilis, venereal disease, Treponema pallidum, T pallidum, syphilemia, syphilid, syphiloderm, syphiloderma, syphiloma, syphilitic infection, sexually transmitted disease, STD, yaws, pinta, chancres, gumma, lues venerea, malum venereum, great imitator, gummatous syphilis, cardiovascular syphilis, meningovascular syphilis, paretic syphilis, late congenital syphilis, early congenital syphilis, late syphilis, early syphilis, acquired syphilis

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Peter F Liu, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Virginia Hospital Center Arlington
Peter F Liu, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Emergency Medicine Residents Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Brian Euerle, MD, FACEP, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Director of Emergency Ultrasound Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Brian Euerle, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pranatharthi Haran Chandrasekar, MD, Director of Infectious Disease Fellowship, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Harper Hospital, Wayne State University School of Medicine
Pranatharthi Haran Chandrasekar, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Daniel R Lucey, MD, MPH, Chief, Fellowship Program Director, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington Hospital Center; Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Daniel R Lucey, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American College of Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

John L Brusch, MD, FACP, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Consulting Staff, Department of Medicine and Infectious Disease Service, Cambridge Health Alliance
John L Brusch, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital
Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Burke A Cunha, MD, Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital
Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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