Epidemiological characteristics of latent syphilis in Yancheng Cityfrom 2016 to 2020 / 预防医学

Objective@#To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of latent syphilis in Yancheng City from 2016 to 2020, so as to provide insights into syphilis control. @*Methods@#All reported cases with latent syphilis in Yancheng City from 2016 to 2020 was collected from the Communicable Disease Report System of China Disease Prevention and Control Information System, and the prevalence of latent syphilis was estimated and standardized by the seventh population census data in Yancheng City. The trends in the incidence of latent syphilis were evaluated using annual percent change (APC), and the temporal, regional and human distributions of latent syphilis patients were descriptively analyzed. In addition, the spatial clusters of latent syphilis incidence were identified using spatial autocorrelation analysis. @*Results@#A total of 7 790 cases with latent syphilis were reported in Yancheng City from 2016 to 2020, and the standardized incidence of latent syphilis increased from 15.35/105 in 2016 to 28.70/105 in 2020 (APC=17.54%, t=5.357, P=0.013). Latent syphilis cases were reported in each month, and no obvious seasonable characteristics were seen. During the period from 2017 to 2020, the highest incidence of latent syphilis was seen in residents at ages of 70 to 79 years, with incidence rates of 41.71/105, 43.04/105, 75.79/105 and 72.94/105, respectively, and most cases were farmers (4 711 cases, 60.47%). The three highest incidence of latent syphilis was reported in Funing County (191.40/105), Tinghu District (137.13/105) and Yandu District (126.23/105). There was a positive spatial correlation of latent syphilis incidence in Yancheng City from 2016 to 2020 (Moran's I=0.23, Z=4.457, P=0.001), and two high-high clusters were identified in 14 townships (streets) of Funing County, Binhai County, Tinghu District, Sheyang County and Yandu District and 3 low-low clusters in 7 townships (streets) in Jianhu County, Tinghu District, Dongtai City and Sheyang County. @*Conclusions@#The incidence of latent syphilis appeared a tendency towards a rise, and there were remarkable spatial clusters identified in latent syphilis incidence in Yancheng City from 2016 to 2020. The elderly people and farmers are at high risk of latent syphilis.

Sífilis: a grande imitadora / Sífilis: The Great Mimicker

A Sífilis é uma doença de transmissão vertical ou sexual causada por uma bactéria espiroqueta anaeróbia restrita que parasita exclusivamente o homem. Esse termo foi usado pela primeira vez em 1530 mas só em 1905 foi associado ao Treponema. Desde o advento da penicilina, os casos de sífilis decresceram até que há cerca de 20 anos a incidência dessa doença voltou a aumentar. Apesar de ser uma doença com múltiplas manifestações sendo capaz de mimetizar outras comorbidades, o diagnóstico e tratamento do Lues é relativamente simples e barato o que vai de encontro a elevada prevalência dessa doença até os dias de hoje. Devido às mudanças epidemiológicas caracterizadas por aumento na incidência e prevalência na última década, o objetivo desta revisão foi apresentar os aspectos relevantes para detecção da doença e aspectos do seu tratamento, levando em conta as diferentes faces da doença, prevenção e tratamento.

Syphilis is a disease of sexual transmission or passed from the mother to fetus caused by a restricted anaerobic spirochete bacterium that parasites exclusively humans. This term was first used in 1530 but only in 1905 was it associated with Treponema. Since the advent of penicillin, cases of syphilis have declined until about 20 years ago when the incidence of this disease has increased again. Although it is a disease with multiple manifestations being able to mimic other comorbidities, the diagnosis and treatment of Lues is relatively simple and inexpensive, which contradicts the high prevalence of this disease until the present day. Due to the epidemiological changes characterized by increased incidence and prevalence in the last decade, the objective of this review was to present the relevant aspects to detect the disease and aspects of its treatment, according to the different faces of the disease, prevention and treatment.

Cerebral Syphilitic Gumma Mimicking a Brain Tumor in the Relapse of Secondary Syphilis in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Negative Patient

Diagnosis of cerebral syphilitic gumma is frequently determined at the time of surgery, because imaging and laboratory findings demonstrate the elusive results. A 59-year-old woman presenting dysarthria showed a mass on her brain computed tomography. She was first suspected of brain tumor, but histological results from surgical resection revealed cerebral gumma due to neurosyphilis. After operation, she presented fever and rash with an infiltration on a chest X-ray. Histological assessment of skin was consistent with syphilis. Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed test IgG in cerebrospinal fluid was positive. She was successfully treated with ceftriaxone for 14 days.

Manifestaciones dermatológicas de la sífilis / Dermatologic manifestations of syphilis

La sífilis es una enfermedad de transmisión sexual causada por la espiroqueta Treponema pallidum. Aproximadamente se presentan 10.6 millones de nuevos casos por año a nivel mundial y en nuestro país 32 casos por cada 100.000 personas. La infección se clasifica en Sífilis primaria, secundaria, latente y terciaria. La sífilis primaria se caracteriza por una úlcera indolora y dura (chancro), que aparece en genitales o en cualquier otra área de contacto, con resolución de dos a seis semanas con o sin tratamiento. La sífilis secundaria se manifiesta de seis semanas a seis meses después de la resolución del chancro primario; esta fase se presenta con varias manifestaciones sistémicas y dermatológicas tales como: el clásico exantema maculopapular en palmas y plantas, la alopecia en parches, los parches mucosos y el condiloma lata. La sífilis latente se define como el periodo después de la infección del T. pallidum en los pacientes seroreactivos, en ausencia de manifestaciones clínicas. Y la sífilis terciaria, la cual puede presentarse como neurosífilis (paresia, tabes dorsal), sífilis cardiovascular (aneurisma aórtico) o goma (infiltrado de monocitos y destrucción tisular en cualquier órgano). Para su diagnóstico se usan inicialmente pruebas no treponémicas como el VDRL y el RPR, pero al ser inespecíficas pueden generar falsos positivos con diversas enfermedades agudas o crónicas, por esta razón se confirman con pruebas treponémicas como el FTA-ABS y la MHA-TP. El manejo es principalmente con peniclina, en casos de alergia se usa tetraciclina o doxiciclina, y ceftriaxona en casos de neurosífilis. El objetivo de este artículo es el enfoque en otros hallazgos dermatológicos diferentes al chancro sifilítico o a las úlceras que caracterizan la patología; se hace énfasis en mostrar cómo estos hallazgos, en ocasiones sutiles, pueden llevar al diagnóstico de las etapas avanzadas y que con mucha frecuencia se confunden con otras dermatosis o enfermedades sistémicas, proporcionando manejos erróneos que conllevan a la progresión de la verdadera enfermedad. De igual forma, se hace una revisión acerca de la actualidad sobre los últimos hallazgos en el diagnóstico y tratamiento, así como el panorama de la enfermedad en nuestro país...

Syphilis is a sexual transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Treponema Pallidum. Approximately 10.6 millions of new cases a year appeared worldwide and in our country 32 cases every 100.000 people. The infection is classified as primary, secondary, latent and tertiary Syphilis. Primary syphilis is characterized by painless and hard ulcer (chancre) that appears in genitals or any other contact area with a resolution from two to six weeks with or without treatment. Secondary syphilis is manifested from six weeks to six months after the resolution of primary chancre; this stage appeared with several systemic and dermatologic manifestations such as the typical maculopapular rash in palms and soles, alopecia in patches, mucous patches and condyloma latum. Latent syphilis is defined as the period after T. pallidum infection in seroreactive patients, in absence of clinical manifestations. And tertiary syphilis which may be presented as neurosyphilis, (paresis, tabes dorsalis), cardiovascular syphilis (aortic aneurysm) or gumma (monocytes infiltration and tissue destruction on any organ). Initially nontreponemal tests like the VDRL and the RPR are used for its diagnosis but when they are not specific, they may generate false positive reactions with several acute and chronic diseases, for that reason, they are confirmed with treponemal tests like the FTA-ABS ant the MHA-TP. The treatment is with penicillin, principally, or doxicycline and tetracicline in allergic cases, and ceftriaxone in neurosyphilis cases. The objective of this article is the approach in others dermatologic findings different to the syphilitic chancre, or the ulcer that is typical of the pathology; emphasis is placed on show how these findings, in some cases subtle, can lead the diagnosis of the advanced stages and with frequency are confused with other dermatosis or systemic diseases, giving mishandling that lead to the progression of the real problem. Similarly is reviewed about the update in diagnosis and treatment, as well as the outlook of the disease in our country...

The Effect of Latent Syphilis on Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

BACKGROUND: Neurosyphilis develops into ischemic stroke due to the occlusion of intracranial arteries, which has the histopathological change of intracranial syphilitic arteritis. There might be an association between a latent syphilis and arterial changes before the neurosyphilis develops. We evaluated the relationship between the latent syphilis and the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in acute ischemic stroke patients to study whether the latent syphilis affected pathological arterial changes. METHODS: Retrospectively consecutive 96 acute ischemic first ever stroke patients were selected from the Gachon stroke registration from January 2003 to May 2005. The latent syphilis group was made up of 44 patients and the non-syphilis group matched in the age and the sex and consisted of 52 patients. The stroke subtype was classified by TOAST classification. RESULTS: The mean carotid IMT of the latent syphilis group (3.06+/-3.78 mm right, 2.68+/-3.39 mm left) was thicker than that of the non-syphilis group (1.49 +/-2.37 mm right, 1.43+/-1.99 mm left)(p<0.05). The hs-CRP was more elevated in the latent syphilis group than the non-syphilis group (1.6+/-2.2 mg/dl, 1.0+/-2.3 mg/dl respectively) (p<0.05). There were no significant differences of in each of the risk factors between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed the patients with latent syphilis had thicker carotid IMT, and a higher level of hs-CRP than the non-syphilis patients. It could be possible that the latent syphilis attributed to the pathological changes by the inflammation in the extracranial carotid artery.