Syphilis - tertiary

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Late-stage syphilis

Syphilis - tertiary

Alternative Names:

Late syphilis; Tertiary syphilis

Symptoms:

Symptoms of tertiary syphilis depend on which organ systems have been affected. They vary widely and are difficult to diagnose. In individuals with tertiary syphilis the primary and secondary stages of syphilis usually have been long forgotten. Medical findings of aortic aneurysms and neurological problems require astute diagnostic ability to link them to syphilis. Some of the symptomatic problems are listed below.

Infiltrative tumors of skin, bones, or liver (gumma)
Cardiovascular syphilis which affects the aorta and causes aneurysms or valve disease
Central nervous system disorders (neurosyphilis)

Signs and tests:

VDRL or RPR blood tests
Confirmatory blood tests, such as FTA-ABS (fluorescent treponemal antibody test)
Spinal fluid examination in neurosyphilis shows signs of meningitis.

Review Date: 8/4/2002
Reviewed By: Camille Kotton, M.D., Infectious Diseases Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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