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Placental histopathology of congenital syphilis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contribution of placental histopathology to the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. METHODS: From January 1, 1986, through December 31, 1998, all pregnant women presenting to a large, urban Dallas County labor and delivery unit with untreated syphilis at delivery and who had placental evaluation performed were identified. Women were clinically staged, and the infants were evaluated for congenital syphilis using a standard protocol. Each placenta was evaluated by two independent pathologists. Histologic characteristics of the placenta related to congenital syphilis in live-born and stillborn infants were then analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-seven women met the study criteria: 33 (49%) stillborn and 18 (27%) live-born infants with congenital syphilis, 15 (22%) uninfected live-born infants, and one uninfected stillborn fetus diagnosed by current criteria. There were no differences between the groups with regard to demographic characteristics, prenatal care, or stage of syphilis. Stillborn infants were more likely to deliver preterm (P <.001). Controlling for gestational age, histopathology revealed necrotizing funisitis, villous enlargement, and acute villitis associated with congenital syphilis. Erythroblastosis was more common in stillborn infants with congenital syphilis than all live-born infants (odds ratio 16, 95% confidence interval 1, 370). The addition of histologic evaluation to conventional diagnostic evaluations improved the detection rate for congenital syphilis from 67% to 89% in live-born infants, and 91% to 97% in stillborn infants. CONCLUSION: Our results show that histopathologic examination of the placenta is a valuable adjunct to the contemporary diagnostic criteria used to diagnose congenital syphilis.

Adolescent↗

Congenital syphilis has not disappeared.

Thirty-three cases of congenital syphilis that were seen at The Children's Hospital, Camperdown, over a 34-year period were reviewed. Twenty-nine cases were examples of early congenital syphilis, as the patients developed clinical features in the first two years of life, and the other four cases were examples of late congenital syphilis, with the clinical features developing between two years and nine months of age and 10 years of age. Twenty-five patients were symptomatic at the time of admission to hospital. The most common clinical feature on the patient's presentation to hospital was a maculopapular or vesiculobullous skin eruption which occurred in 13 of the infants. Hepatic and splenic enlargement were present in 12 cases, and nine children had the "snuffles". Five of the children died. Patient follow-up occurred in fewer than 40% of cases and three of the children who were followed-up suffer from developmental delay. Congenital syphilis can occur in all social groups but is most common in infants who are premature or are small for gestational age and are born to young, unmarried mothers of low socioeconomic status. The treatment of congenital syphilis is simple and effective although the patients may need to be linked with community-health facilities to assist in their compliance with follow-up appointments.

Child↗

Impact of a mandatory syphilis delivery test on reported cases of congenital syphilis in Upstate New York.

A regulation mandating a syphilis serology test at delivery was implemented on December 6, 1989. To assess any impact on congenital syphilis reporting, we compared all cases reported in Upstate New York for the year directly preceding the regulation (n = 69) to those born in the three-year period following its implementation (n = 239). After implementation, the percentage of cases not tested at delivery decreased from 10 percent to 1 percent and reports of syphilitic stillbirths tripled. Asymptomatic infection of both mothers and babies increased significantly and at-birth detection of cases in women with negative prenatal serologies increased by 43 percent. Delivery screening failed to identify seven cases due to incubating maternal infection.

Adolescent↗

Value of serological diagnosis in congenital syphilis. Report of nine cases.

The diagnosis of congenital syphilis is difficult since it depends mainly on the results of serological tests. The results of five serological tests (three specific and two non-specific) in nine neonates with congenital syphilis are compared with those obtained in three with passively acquired antibodies. It appeared that the serological diagnosis of congenital syphilis must be based on the finding of specific neonatal antibodies in cord serum, which give positive results to the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test for immunoglobulin M, together with high titres of total IgM and negative results to latex tests. The non-specific tests are useful for confirming the efficacy of treatment. The mean number of cases of congenital syphilis in Seville is 0.81/1000 live births.

Female↗

IgM rheumatoid factor removal and performance of the FTA-ABS (IgM) test in congenital syphilis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the performance of the FTA-ABS (IgM) test in congenital syphilis after eliminating interference by IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) and preventing competitive inhibition by IgG. DESIGN: The FTA-ABS (IgM) test was carried out before and after RF removal (achieved by immunoprecipitation of the IgG) in infants with congenital syphilis and controls. SETTING: Newborns delivered in the Peninsula Maternal and Neonatal Services in Cape Town and infants presenting at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital. SUBJECTS: Infants with congenital syphilis aged 0-4 months were divided into those with clinical signs at presentation and those who were asymptomatic at delivery. In addition, patients without congenital syphilis but with similar clinical signs at presentation were investigated as were control infants. OUTCOME MEASURE: The diagnosis of congenital syphilis was based on the criteria suggested by Kaufman et al (1977). RESULTS: Amongst symptomatic infants with congenital syphilis the FTA-ABS (IgM) test was positive in 34 (92%) of 37 cases prior to abolishing the RF effect and in 29 (78.4%) of 37 cases afterwards (p = 0.19). In 12 cases of congenital syphilis who were asymptomatic at birth, 10 had positive FTA-ABS (IgM) tests before RF removal and only three had positive tests afterwards (p = 0.006). False positive tests were not found amongst 15 symptomatic infants whose clinical features mimicked those of the infants with congenital syphilis. Among 51 healthy infants the test had a false-positive rate of 2% in newborns and 13% in older infants. The false positive reactions were eradicated by IgG precipitation. CONCLUSIONS: Following IgG and RF removal there was an improvement in the specificity of the FTA-ABS (IgM) test but this was at the expense of a loss of sensitivity, particularly in asymptomatic newborns. For newborns, if the FTA-ABS (IgM) test was positive, the patient was likely to require treatment for congenital syphilis, regardless of whether the result was due to the presence of RF or specific IgM.

Humans↗

Congenital syphilis after treatment of maternal syphilis with a penicillin regimen exceeding CDC guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Although congenital syphilis usually occurs as a result of a failure to detect and treat syphilis in pregnant women, failures of the currently recommended regimen to prevent congenital syphilis have been reported. CASE: This report describes an infant with congenital syphilis despite maternal treatment with a regimen exceeding current CDC guidelines. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the regimen used to treat syphilis during pregnancy, clinicians should recognize the possibility of occasional treatment failures and the importance of adequate follow-up of infants at risk for congenital syphilis.

Adult↗

Absence of lower extremity ossification centers in term infants with congenital syphilis.

Radiologic evaluation is valuable for confirmation of congenital syphilis. Bony abnormalities are thought to be secondary to active disease or a growth response of bone to systemic illness. Anteroposterior lower extremity radiographs of 85 euthyroid term infants (> or = 38 weeks' gestation; mean weight, 3244 gm; range, 1940-4380 gm) with presumptive congenital syphilis were evaluated for the presence of the distal femoral and proximal tibial secondary ossification centers and other bony abnormalities. Both proximal tibial and distal femoral ossification centers were absent in only 9 of 85 infants with syphilis; the proximal tibial center was absent in 26 of 85 (total 30.6%; 95% confidence limits 0.2 to 0.4). This observation is significant at the p < 0.01 level by chi-square analysis with use of historical controls. Periosteal new bone formation was seen in 2 of 85 infants. Metaphyseal lucent bands were present in 21 of 85 infants, 8 of whom also had absent lower extremity ossification centers. For comparison we reviewed lower extremity radiographs from 12 term infants without congenital syphilis. Ossification centers were absent in one growth-retarded infant, and metaphyseal lucent bands were found in one infant. Although standard texts report nearly universal ossification of the distal femoral epiphysis at term, we observed delayed skeletal maturation in 30.1% of term infants with congenital syphilis. We speculate that this delay may be reflective of systemic infection.

Chi-Square Distribution↗

Skeletal lesions in early congenital syphilis (a review of 86 cases).

Early congenital syphilis is still common in Morocco, where it causes a large number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Over the last 16 years, we managed 86 cases of congenital syphilis in infants aged one day to four months. Multiple organs were affected in half the patients. Skeletal lesions were found in 65% of patients, Wimberger's sign in nearly 20% (17/86), and pseudoparalysis in 23%. The significance of the skeletal lesions often seen in congenital syphilis in Morocco is emphasized.

Bone and Bones↗

The continuing scourge of congenital syphilis in 21st century: a case report.

Although the rate of congenital syphilis is declining in developed countries, a significant increase has been observed in the underdeveloped countries. Unfortunately, little concern is raised about the increasing numbers of babies born with congenital syphilis. The procedure to prevent congenital syphilis through antenatal screening and treatment is well established. But implementation of effective programs has proved very difficult especially in resource--poor settings. Congenital syphilis, if not treated promptly and adequately, may result in significant physical and emotional squeal in children. A case of complicated late congenital syphilis is reported in order to emphasize that syphilis is still present nowadays, and re-emerging many countries even some of the industrialized ones. Most of the cases can not be prevented by routine antenatal screening. Thus it is essential to develop strategies to prevent sexually transmitted disease from being a hidden and neglected problem.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗