The Clinical Study of Congenital Syphilis in Low Birth Weight Infants

ABSTRACT

The clinical study was made on 52 cases who had treated for congenital syphilis at Chonnam University Medical School Hospital. Of these, 39 cases were admitted to Pediatric Department of C.U.M.S.H. from Jan. 1971 to Dec. 1978 via out patient dispensary and 13 cases were born in C.U.M.S.H. form Jan. 1974 to Dec. 1978. The results were summarized as followings; 1) 8% of the total low birth weight infants and 0.5% of the infants who weighed over 2,500gm at birth were diagnosed as congenital syphilis. 2) In sex distribution 36 were male and rest of them were female. 3) 70% among congenital syphilitic patients in low birth weight infants had prematurity. 4) The first clinical sympton appeared 89.4% within the fourth week after birth, 53.9% in the first week and 9.6% after the fourth week. 5) The most frequent clinical manifestation was hepatomegaly(79%), next in order of skin manifestaion(72%), anemia(60%), splenomegaly(48%), rhinitis and snuffle(48%). 6) In V.D.R.L. test, 96% of the patient, 98% of the mother and 72% of the father revealed reactive response. 7) Bony changes of roentgenographic examination were detected in 47 cases(90%). 8) 16 cases of congenital syphilitic patients in low birth weight infants(52 cases) and 8 cases of congenital syphilitic patiets who weighed over 2,500gm at birth were died and the most common cause of death in the patients of low birth weight infants was prematurity.