Diagnosis: malignant syphilis and coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A skin biopsy was performed, and the diagnosis of syphilis was suggested by the histopathological findings (figure 1). Titers of Treponema pallidum were 11:64 on hemagglutination assay, and a fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test had positive results. After treatment with intravenous penicillin G (1...

OBJECTIVES To determine the epidemiological profile of gestational syphilis and associated factors in a Peruvian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study is a secondary analysis of data obtained from public hospitals in Peru for the 2000-2010 period. 652,636 pregnant women were included from 37 cities and 45 health centers in Peru. RESULTS The prevalence of gestational syphilis was 0.7%,...

OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of early syphilis on HIV viral load (VL) and CD4 cell count in patients with HIV and to analyze factors associated with changes in HIV VL and CD4 cell count. DESIGN Multicenter study of a series of patients with HIV who were diagnosed with early syphilis infection during 2004 through 2005. Patients who started or changed their highly active antiretroviral thera...

BACKGROUND Congenital syphilis is recognized as a substantial public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of syphilis among antenatal care attendees in Botswana and to contribute to knowledge about the challenges facing the syphilis-screening programme. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, 703 antenatal care attendees at 13 health faciliti...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether cases of congenital syphilis in the Northern Territory between 2009 and 2014 were correctly notified based on probable or confirmed case criteria stipulated by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA). METHODS Pregnant women with positive syphilis serology defined as reactive treponemal test and rapid plasma reagin titre ≥1:8 were identified from the N...

We report here the results of the diagnostic performances of Vitros Syphilis TPA (a chemiluminescence treponemal assay) compared with those of two treponemal enzyme immunoassays and of traditional versus reverse syphilis algorithms. Ease of use, automation, and high throughput make the Vitros Syphilis TPA assay a good choice for syphilis screening in high-volume laboratories.

Recent reports of changes in the epidemiology of syphilis prompted a review of syphilis in our urban community. All records of positive syphilis serology reported to the City of Scarborough Health Department between 1990-94 were reviewed for key epidemiological variables. While infectious stages of syphilis were reported more often among young adults, incidence for all stages increased among su...

BACKGROUND An outbreak of syphilis has been identified primarily in Dublin, Ireland. On a background of a stable low incidence of syphilis, a significant increase in the number of cases of syphilis has been observed over the past 18 months. RESULTS 181 cases of syphilis were seen in this period. 121 were defined as early syphilis. These cases were mainly among men who have sex with men (92%)....

Treponema pallidum infections can have severe complications if not diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Screening and diagnosis of syphilis require assays with high specificity and sensitivity. The Elecsys Syphilis assay is an automated treponemal immunoassay for the detection of antibodies against T. pallidum The performance of this assay was investigated previously in a multicenter study....

BACKGROUND Syphilis is a growing public health problem among men who have sex with men (MSM) globally. Rapid and accurate detection of syphilis is vital to ensure patients and their contacts receive timely treatment and reduce ongoing transmission. METHODS We evaluated a PCR assay for the diagnosis of Treponema pallidum using swabs of suspected early syphilis lesions in longitudinally assesse...