Syphilis - tertiary

Alternative names:

late syphilis; tertiary syphilis

Definition:

A late phase of the sexually transmitted disease, syphilis, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. Tertiary syphilis is a late stage of the disease precede, often many years, by the initial infection, primary syphilis and another early stage secondary syphilis.

In tertiary syphilis the causative organisms, the spirochetes, have continued to reproduce, often for years (3 to 15). Pockets of damage accumulate in various tissues such as the bones, skin, nervous tissue, heart, and arteries. These lesions are called gummas and are very destructive. Lesions in the central nervous system produce neurological disease called neurosyphilis and various presentation as called tabes dorsalis, general paresis and optic atrophy. Lesions of the heart, heart valves and aorta can lead to aneurysms, valvular heart disease and aortitis.

Tertiary syphilis is less frequently seen today than in the past because of early detection and adequate treatment. The incidence of tertiary syphilis is approximately 3 out of 10,000 people.