Skip to main content

Abstract

Syphilis is still a frequent sexually transmitted infection (STI) with very serious consequences not only for the index patient but sexual partners if the diagnosis is missed.

This chapter is the copy of CDC guidelines. The copied part has been reported between brackets (all the chapter)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alexander JM, Sheffield JS, Sanchez PJ, et al. Efficacy of treatment for syphilis in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 1999;93:5–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). Laboratory diagnostic testing for Treponema pallidum. Expert consultation meeting summary report, 13–15 Jan 2009, Atlanta. Available at: http://www.aphl.org/aphlprograms/infectious/std/–Documents/LaboratoryGuidelinesTreponemapallidumMeetingReport.pdf.

  • CDC. Inadvertent use of Bicillin® C-R to treat syphilis infection – Los Angeles, California, 1999–2004. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2005;54:217–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • CDC. Symptomatic early neurosyphilis among HIV-positive men who have sex with men: four cities, United States, January 2002–June 2004. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007;56:625–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • CDC. Syphilis testing algorithms using treponemal tests for initial screening – four laboratories, New York City, 2005–2006. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008;57:872–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • CDC. Guidelines for the laboratory diagnosis of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. Available at: http://www.aphl.org/aphlprograms/infectious/std/Pages/stdtestingguidelines.aspx.

  • Dowell ME, Ross PG, Musher DM, et al. Response of latent syphilis or neurosyphilis to ceftriaxone therapy in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Am J Med. 1992;93:481–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghanem KG. Sensitivity and specificity of lumbar puncture in HIV-infected patients with syphilis and no neurologic symptoms reply. Clin Infect Dis. 2009;49:162–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghanem KG, Erbelding EJ, Cheng WW, et al. Doxycycline compared with benzathine penicillin for the treatment of early syphilis. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;42:e45–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghanem KG, Erbelding EJ, Wiener ZS, et al. Serological response to syphilis treatment in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients attending sexually transmitted diseases clinics. Sex Transm Infect. 2007;83:97–101.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghanem KG, Moore RD, Rompalo AM, et al. Neurosyphilis in a clinical cohort of HIV-1-infected patients. AIDS. 2008a;22:1145–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghanem KG, Moore RD, Rompalo AM, et al. Antiretroviral therapy is associated with reduced serologic failure rates for syphilis among HIV-infected patients. Clin Infect Dis. 2008b;47:258–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollier LM, Harstad TW, Sanchez PJ, et al. Fetal syphilis: clinical and laboratory characteristics. Obstet Gynecol. 2001;97:947–53.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hook III EW, Baker-Zander SA, Moskovitz BL, et al. Ceftriaxone therapy for asymptomatic neurosyphilis. Case report and Western blot analysis of serum and cerebrospinal fluid IgG response to therapy. Sex Transm Dis. 1986;13(3 Suppl):S185–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hook III EW, Roddy RE, Handsfield HH. Ceftriaxone therapy for incubating and early syphilis. J Infect Dis. 1988;158:881–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hook III EW, Martin DH, Stephens J, et al. A randomized, comparative pilot study of azithromycin versus benzathine penicillin G for treatment of early syphilis. Sex Transm Dis. 2002;29:486–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hook III EW, Behets F, Van DK, et al. A phase III equivalence trial of azithromycin versus benzathine penicillin for treatment of early syphilis. J Infect Dis. 2010;201:1729–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaffe HW, Larsen SA, Peters M, et al. Tests for treponemal antibody in CSF. Arch Intern Med. 1978;138:252–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janier M, Hegyi V, Dupin N, et al. European guidelines on the management of syphilis. JEADV. 2014;28:1581–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingston AA, Vujevich J, Shapiro M, et al. Seronegative secondary syphilis in 2 patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus. Arch Dermatol. 2005;141:431–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein VR, Cox SM, Mitchell MD, et al. The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction complicating syphilotherapy in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 1990;75(3 Pt 1):375–80.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Libois A, De WS, Poll B, et al. HIV and syphilis: when to perform a lumbar puncture. Sex Transm Dis. 2007;34:141–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lukehart SA, Hook III EW, Baker-Zander SA, et al. Invasion of the central nervous system by Treponema pallidum: implications for diagnosis and treatment. Ann Intern Med. 1988;109:855–62.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lukehart SA, Godornes C, Molini BJ, et al. Macrolide resistance in Treponema pallidum in the United States and Ireland. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:154–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marra CM, Boutin P, McArthur JC, et al. A pilot study evaluating ceftriaxone and penicillin G as treatment agents for neurosyphilis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30:540–4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Smith SL, et al. Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinical and laboratory features. J Infect Dis. 2004a;189:369–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Tantalo L, et al. Normalization of cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities after neurosyphilis therapy: does HIV status matter? Clin Infect Dis. 2004b;38:1001–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Tantalo LC, et al. Normalization of serum rapid plasma reagin titer predicts normalization of cerebrospinal fluid and clinical abnormalities after treatment of neurosyphilis. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;47:893–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell SJ, Engelman J, Kent CK, et al. Azithromycin-resistant syphilis infection: San Francisco, California, 2000–2004. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;42:337–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nandwani R, Evans DT. Are you sure it’s syphilis? A review of false positive serology. Int J STD AIDS. 1995;6:241–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pope V. Use of treponemal tests to screen for syphilis. Infect Med. 2004;21:399–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riedner G, Rusizoka M, Todd J, et al. Single-dose azithromycin versus penicillin G benzathine for the treatment of early syphilis. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:1236–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rolfs RT, Joesoef MR, Hendershot EF, et al; The Syphilis and HIV Study Group. A randomized trial of enhanced therapy for early syphilis in patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection. N Engl J Med. 1997;337:307–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romanowski B, Sutherland R, Fick GH, et al. Serologic response to treatment of infectious syphilis. Ann Intern Med. 1991;114:1005–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shann S, Wilson J. Treatment of neurosyphilis with ceftriaxone. Sex Transm Infect. 2003;79:415–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith NH, Musher DM, Huang DB, et al. Response of HIV-infected patients with asymptomatic syphilis to intensive intramuscular therapy with ceftriaxone or procaine penicillin. Int J STD AIDS. 2004;15:328–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Su JR, Hook E, Kenney K, et al. Prevalence of the 23S rRNA point mutation in Treponema pallidum in the United States and associated factors, 2006–2008. In: 18th International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research, London, #OS1.11.03. 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker GJ. Antibiotics for syphilis diagnosed during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001:(3);CD001143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wendel Jr GD, Sheffield JS, Hollier LM, et al. Treatment of syphilis in pregnancy and prevention of congenital syphilis. Clin Infect Dis. 2002;35 Suppl 2:S200–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong T, Singh AE, De P. Primary syphilis: serological treatment response to doxycycline/tetracycline versus benzathine penicillin. Am J Med. 2008;121:903–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. The global elimination of congenital syphilis: rationale and strategy for action. Geneva: WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research; 2005.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael A. Waugh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Waugh, M.A. (2015). Syphilis. In: Katsambas, A.D., Lotti, T.M., Dessinioti, C., D’Erme, A.M. (eds) European Handbook of Dermatological Treatments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45139-7_94

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45139-7_94

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-45138-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-45139-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics