If a patient is diagnosed w.syphillis.But shows no symptoms(i.e chancres)what is the diagnosis?

Question

If a patient is diagnosed with syphillis but shows no common signs of the symptoms. Should they be re-tested or go for the treatment. ALso considering that their partner does not have it,why and how is that?

Answer 1

If a person is diagnosed with syphilis, it is because their blood has been shown to have a positive RPR (1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 1:16 etc- which measures the antibodies to syphilis in the blood) and a positive confirmatory test (TPPA or FTA-ABS).

It is quite common for someone to test positive without having shown any symptoms.

They should be retested and then treated with a shot of 2.4 million units of Benzathine Penicillan G. They should get one shot every week for 3 weeks.

All sex partners within the past year should be tested, and treated. It is important to note, however, that syphilis is passed on from the primary lesion (an open sore.) After someone comes in contact with the sore, it can take up to 3 months for them to develop their own sore (for many people this sore is in a location where it can't been seen- mouth, anus or vagina- and a primary characteristic of the sore is that it is painless.) Only after a person develops the sore will the infection show up in their blood tests.

Syphilis is pretty easy to get- but it can be completely cured.

It is important for anyone having sex to get an annual check-up and have a full STD screen, including testing for HIV. In the US you can find free STD clinics at: http://www.ncsddc.org/programsites.htm

Answer 2

Syphillis, like many other STDs is often without any symptoms. It is diagnosed with a simple blood test (called RPR). If your partner has syphillis, it MUST be treated, as it will not go away on it's own. In the days not too long ago (1960's), people died from what is called tertiary syphillis, when the organism infected the brain and central nervous system. Nowadays there are many antibiotics for syphillis therapy.
If the affected person does not have symptoms of syphillis, that does not mean they are not infected. All sexual partners of the infected person must be tested and treated. And one should always wear a condom when having sex, there are a lot worse things out there to catch other than syphillis.

Answer 3

Syphilis occurs in many stages.
Firstly primary syphilis occurs as a small painless ulcer on the genitals.It may go unnoticeble because it is paineless.It disappears a few weeks later.After a window period secondary syphilis may develop.Maybe the person is in that window period or maybe its a false positive. Get a more sensitive test done and if its positive go for the treatment.
Dont jump to conclusions.If the test again comes positive and the other partner still doesnt have syphilis ,then the couple might want to sit and have a discussion about the issue.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Hi . You should be retested for sure . A false positive syphilis test is a sign of an underlying connective tissue disorder and you need to know for sure . Having said that there is no harm in preceding with treatment while still investigating other possiblities for a positive test.

Answer 5

Syphilis has several stages. Symptoms vary with each stage, but often there are no symptoms, even though serious damage may be happening
Primary Syphilis:
A painless open sore, the chancre, usually appears 3 weeks to 3 months after infection. A chancre may appear almost anyplace on the body. The most common sites are the penis in men, near the vaginal opening or labia in women, or on the anus or in the rectum. Once in a while the chancre appears on the lips or in the mouth. Enlarged glands may also occur near the chancre; for example, if the chancre is on the penis or near the vagina, glands in the groin usually swell up. Both the chancre and any swollen glands usually last 3 to 6 weeks, then clear up. But the infection doesn’t go away; it just continues into the secondary stage.

Secondary Syphilis:
Symptoms of secondary syphilis usually appear 2-3 months after catching the infection. Sometimes they overlap with primary syphilis, but other times the symptoms are delayed up to 6 months. The most common symptom is a spotty skin rash that may occur anywhere on the body and often—unlike most skin rashes—involves the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. The rash usually doesn’t itch. Other common symptoms are swollen glands in various areas of the body, fever, fatigue, patchy hair loss, weight loss, and headache. The symptoms are just like those of many other health problems, so that syphilis has been called "the great imitator". Secondary syphilis symptoms usually last anywhere from 1 to 3 months, but sometimes they last longer, and once in a while the symptoms come and go over a year or two. But even after the symptoms of secondary syphilis clear up, the infection goes on.

Latent Syphilis:
Latent syphilis causes no symptoms. The infection can be detected only by a blood test. If not treated, latent syphilis continues for life. Many of these infections never cause serious problems, but often the disease progresses to the final stage, called tertiary syphilis.

Tertiary (late) Syphilis:
About one-third of untreated people with syphilis experience serious damage to various organs and body systems. Tertiary syphilis can appear any time from a year to 50 years after catching syphilis; most cases occur within 20 years. The brain, heart, liver, and bones are the most commonly involved organs. Tertiary syphilis can cause paralysis, mental problems, blindness, deafness, heart failure, and death.

Congenital Syphilis:
Congenital syphilis happens when a pregnant woman with syphilis passes the infection to her baby in the womb. Congenital syphilis is the most serious form of the disease. Many cases result in miscarriage or stillbirth, and surviving babies may have serious problems of the brain, liver, and other organs; some of these can be fatal or cause lifelong disabilities. Sometimes congenital syphilis is silent at birth but shows up later in childhood or even in the adult years. Congenital syphilis is most likely if the mother has primary or secondary syphilis when pregnant.

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What happens to me if I have syphilis?



If syphilis is not treated, the infection will progress through the primary, secondary, latent and perhaps teriary stages, described above. If an infected woman gets pregnant, her baby may get congenital syphilis. Treatment stops the infection, but if organ damage has already occurred--especially in tertiary syphilis--the damage cannot be repaired and serious health problems may continue.

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How is syphilis transmitted?



Syphilis is caught by having sex with someone who has been infected with syphilis less than a year—i.e., someone with primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, or latent syphilis for less than a year. Latent syphilis more than a year old and tertiary syphilis can no longer be transmitted by sex. The syphilis bacteria is very fragile and dies rapidly outside the body, so the risk of nonsexual transmission is very low. Congenital syphilis is transmitted internally, from the blood of an infected woman directly to the baby in the womb.
How do I find out if I have syphilis? (Diagnosis)



Only a health care provider can diagnose syphilis. Tests for primary and secondary syphilis include blood tests and tests performed on fluid recovered from open chancres. Sometimes a spinal tap is necessary to check for signs of syphilis in the spinal fluid. This is especially important when syphilis has been present more than a year, when previous treatment has failed, or when the health care provider has other reasons to suspect infection of the nervous system.

Answer 6

Syphylis is diagnosed by a simple blood test that shows the presence of antibodies to the spirochete which causes the disease. It should be promptly and thoroughly evaluated and treated. This is a BAD disease and very contagious.