by Raquel Ildefonzo

Created on: November 18, 2009

One of the most serious of the sexually transmitted infections is syphilis. It is caused by a specific microorganism called Treponema pallidum. This microorganism, which is corkscrew-shaped, is much larger than most bacteria. As a rule, an individual must get these microorganisms from a living source to contract the venereal disease.

Transmission of the syphilis-causing Treponema pallidum is usually through a break in the skin or mucous membrane; it may also be through a mother's placenta to her unborn child. Using contaminated drinking glasses, silverware or other utensils, or kissing people who have lesions in their mouth, can cause syphilis in a few people. But since drying kills the Treponema pallidum germs quickly, very few people get syphilis except by sexual contact.

This venereal disease has three phases: the initial phase, the eruptive phase, and the potentially deadly phase.

Initial phase:

In this phase, the individual would have to have sexual contact with someone who already has syphilis. If the Treponema pallidum germs are successful in penetrating a genital mucous membrane and multiplying, the first symptom of syphilis may show up in about three weeks.

This first symptom - called a chancre - is a hard, red ulcer that is not painful. The chancre has well-defined edges and a small amount of watery discharge that is often blood-tinged. If the chancre is on an external part of the body, it is easily noticed. Because, again, the chancre does not hurt, it may go unnoticed if it is inside the vagina, anus, or mouth. Even if left untreated, the chancre will disappear in three to six weeks.

Eruptive phase:

Everything appears to be normal again in the next two to twelve weeks from the disappearance of the chancre. Then, all of a sudden, an eruption appears on the body, particularly on the hands and feet. The eruption consists of a few red, pimply blemishes. At this stage, the syphilis germs are widely distributed throughout the body; they may have reached the vital organs of the body, including the brain and heart.

The infected individual may have headaches, fever, chills, pains in the bones and joints, swollen lymph nodes, a general feeling of tiredness, and anemia. During this second phase of syphilis, which lasts for a few weeks or months, highly infectious lesions (mucous patches) develop in the mouth and other mucous surfaces. It is from these lesions that many new cases of the venereal disease are contracted.

Potentially deadly phase:

If left untreated, the symptoms which appeared in the eruptive phase may recur for up to four years. From here, the third phase of syphilis is likely to occur. Hard tumor masses (gummas) develop in different parts of the body. The gummas may slough away and leave sores. Tumor masses may form in the lungs, abdomen, or pelvis.

If the brain is attacked by the Treponema pallidum germs, the victim may become paralyzed or senile. If it is the heart or the aorta (the great arterial trunk that carries blood out of the heart) that is affected, heart failure and death can occur.

Despite the grievousness of this venereal disease, it is easy to cure. The characteristic corkscrew shape of Treponema pallidum makes it easy to recognize under a microscope. Since the microorganism is present in a chancre, a diagnosis of the first phase of syphilis can be made by examining the fluid from the chancre. For the later phases, blood tests are used to determine the presence of the germs. Note that the syphilis germs can easily be neutralized by penicillin.

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