eMedicine Specialties > Infectious Diseases > Bacterial Infections

Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis): Follow-up

Author: Steven Fine, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Rochester School of Medicine
Coauthor(s): Lynn S Fine, PhD, MPH, Manager of Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, ACM Medical Laboratories; Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, St John Fisher College and Nazareth College
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Apr 30, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

Conscientious follow-up care to detect treatment failures and reinfection is recommended. Treatment failures or reinfections should be treated again. If penicillin was initially used, one of the alternative antibiotics listed might be considered.

Patient Education

For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Sexually Transmitted Diseases Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education article Syphilis.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

Failure to diagnose is the greatest pitfall for clinicians presented with cases of the endemic treponematosis. Although treatment failures are unusual, a follow-up examination several months after completion of treatment may be useful to detect recurrence or inadequate treatment.

 


More on Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis)

Overview: Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis)
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis)
Treatment & Medication: Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis)
Follow-up: Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis)
Multimedia: Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis)
References
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References

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  2. Tabbara KF, al Kaff AS, Fadel T. Ocular manifestations of endemic syphilis (bejel). Ophthalmology. Jul 1989;96(7):1087-91. [Medline].

  3. Backhouse JL, Hudson BJ, Hamilton PA. Failure of penicillin treatment of yaws on Karkar Island, Papua New Guinea. Am J Trop Med Hyg. Sep 1998;59(3):388-92. [Medline].

  4. Agadzi VK, Aboagye-Atta Y, Nelson JW. Resurgence of yaws in Ghana. Lancet. Aug 13 1983;2(8346):389-90. [Medline].

  5. Anselmi M, Araujo E, Narvaez A. Yaws in Ecuador: impact of control measures on the disease in the Province of Esmeraldas. Genitourin Med. Dec 1995;71(6):343-6. [Medline].

  6. Chulay JD. Treponema species (Yaws, Pinta, Bejel). In: Long SS, Pickering LK, Prober CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. New York, NY: Churchill Livingston; 2000:2490-4.

  7. Engelkens HJ, Judanarso J, Oranje AP. Endemic treponematoses. Part I. Yaws. Int J Dermatol. Feb 1991;30(2):77-83. [Medline].

  8. Farnsworth N, Rosen T. Endemic treponematosis: review and update. Clin Dermatol. May-Jun 2006;24(3):181-90. [Medline].

  9. Kim SC, Guerrero R, Gonzalez R. A 23-year-old pregnant woman with left-foot and left-ankle ulceration. Clin Infect Dis. Jul 1 2004;39(1):81-2, 136-7. [Medline].

  10. Koff AB, Rosen T. Nonvenereal treponematoses: yaws, endemic syphilis, and pinta. J Am Acad Dermatol. Oct 1993;29(4):519-35; quiz 536-8. [Medline].

  11. Perine PL, Hopkins DR, Niemel PLA. Handbook of Endemic Treponematoses: Yaws, Endemic Syphilis, and Pinta. WHO Publications Centre, USA: World Health Organization; 1984.

  12. Second International Conference on Control of Yaws. Report of Second International Conference on Control of Yaws: Nigeria, 1955. II. J Trop Med Hyg. Mar 1957;60(3):62-73. [Medline].

  13. Vabres P, Roose B, Berdah S. [Bejel: an unusual cause of stomatitis in the child]. Ann Dermatol Venereol. Jan 1999;126(1):49-50. [Medline].

  14. Walker DH, Guerrant RL, Weller PF. Treponemal infections. In: Guerrant RL, Walker DH, Weller PF, eds. Tropical Infectious Diseases: Principles, Pathogens, and Practice. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 1999:527-34.

  15. Walker SL, Hay RJ. Yaws-a review of the last 50 years. Int J Dermatol. Apr 2000;39(4):258-60. [Medline].

  16. World Health Organization. 1998 World Health Report: Health in the 21st Century: A Vision for All. 1998.

  17. World Health Organization. WHO Expert Committee on Venereal Infections. Report on the third session. Vol 13. 1950.

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Further Reading

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Keywords

treponematosis, endemic syphilis, treponemiasis, nonvenereal syphilis, yaws, pinta, non-venereal syphilis, pian, bouba, frambesia, bejel, sibbens, radesyge, dichuchwa, njovera, skerljevoj, mal de pinto, carate, azul, purupuru, Treponema pallidum, Treponema pertenue, Treponema endemicum, Treponema carateum, T pallidum, T pertenue, T endemicum, T carateum

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Steven Fine, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Rochester School of Medicine
Steven Fine, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Lynn S Fine, PhD, MPH, Manager of Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, ACM Medical Laboratories; Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, St John Fisher College and Nazareth College
Lynn S Fine, PhD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Public Health Association and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Jeffrey M Zaks, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine; Vice President, Medical Affairs, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Internal Medicine, Providence Hospital
Jeffrey M Zaks, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Cardiology, American College of Healthcare Executives, American College of Physician Executives, and American Medical Association
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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