Thursday, September 3, 2015

A Neonate With A Skin Rash

A 2 day old baby boy is brought for evaluation of a skin rash.
The baby was born at full term to a mother with no antenatal care. While giving the history she mentions having infected with syphillis but is not certain about the treatment and never had a followup for her disease. The baby was suspected to be infected with congenital syphillis and VDRL titers were done which were high, and exceeding those of the mother. This confirmed the diagnosis.

Case Discussion:
Congenital Syphillis:
Congenital syphillis is a serious and often life threatening or life disabling condition that occurs when a child is born to a mother infected with syphilis.

Etiology: The causative bacteria treponema pallidium is transmitted from the mother to the baby during pregnancy or at child birth.


Prognosis: Congenital syphillis has a poor outcome, and if transmitted early in pregnancy can lead to miscarriage. Other babies may be stillborn or die shortly after birth. Some infants who survive may or may not show symptoms.

Clinical features:  
1. Early congenital syphillis may present as:

  • Macular or vesiculobullous skin eruptions
  • copper colored  rash on palms and soles
  • papular lesions around the nose and mouth and in the diaper area.
  • Generalized lympadenopathy
  • Hepatosplenomegaly
  • failure to thrive
  • mucopurulent or blood stained nasal discharge
  • Seizures
  • Meningitis
  • Osteochindritis.
2. Late Congenital syphillis: typically manifests after 2 years of age.
  • Gummatous ulcers that involves the nose, septum, hard palate.
  • Periosteal lesions resulting in saber shins and bossing of frontal and parietal bones.
  • Optic atropy leading to blindness
  • Interstitial keratitis leading to corneal scarring
  • Senssorineural deafness that is often progressive.
  • Saddle nose
  • Short maxilla
  • Protruding mandible
  • Blunted upper incisor teeth known as Hutchinson's teeth. 
Management: If a pregnant woman is identified as being infected with syphillis , treatment can effectively prevent congenital syphillis. , especially if treated before 16th week of pregnancy. The child is at greatest risk of contracting syphillis if the mother is in the early stages of infection but disease can be passed at any point in pregnancy and even during delivery
Penicillin is the drug used to treat all types of syphillis. . 

2 comments:

  1. Hello, my name is Betty. i was diagnosed of HIV virus 4 years back. Before then, i was dating this Derrick guy. we had something great going on. Our love life only lasted for 8 months. the sixth and seven month of our relationship, i began feeling very weak every now and then. But i never suspected anything until I kept on experiencing different symptoms like having sore throats, constant headache, body weakness e.t.c. I decided to go for a medical check up. I was tested HIV positive. when the doctor broke the news to me, it was as if my whole world had crumbled. it dawned on me then that Derrick has been lying to me. i was very mad to an extent i almost committed suicide. But there was nothing i could do, other than weep and weep. ever since then, i have been spending heavily on medications, going from one medical clinic or the other so I can look healthy. Though since i was a kid, i love herbs a lot. i take herbal tea with grandma while growing so i am quite familiar with herbs. early last year, i was on the internet and on a particular health blog, to check for herbal medication as alternative. I saw many comments and read many testimonies. Until i came across a particular testimony on how Dr.ugo cured a patient from herpes simplex virus using pure natural herbs. i reached out to the doctor because I also was thinking Herpes had no cure. I told him about my HIV status.He encouraged me not to panic that he will help me get my deliverance. he prepared some herbs and sent them to me. The herbs were in four 70ml bottles and I took them morning and night. i used as he directed, and in less than three weeks, i started having appetite to eat plenty of food and i gained back my strength. the fourth week,I consumed all the herbal meds. He encouraged me to go for a test which i did. This time, the result was negative. I quickly contacted the doctor and informed him of the news. I immediately asked him to prepare for Derrick too. He did and sent it. Today, me and Derrick are HIV free. All thanks goes to God Almighty for healing us through Dr.Ugo. if you are having any kind of sickness at all, Dr.Ugo is the right person to talk to and i assure you, you will be glad you did. His email: ugoherbalhome@gmail.com you can also write him on WhatsApp +2348104990619.

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  2. Nice blog
    Have been totally convinced that HIV,and many others dangerous diseases can be best cured using the Herbal Medicine. Dr.Akpu the great and powerful herbalist cured me with his Herbal remedy. I'm Linda,15 years from Texas. I was born with HIV. I lost parents at my teenager age when I was 4th. I had to grew up with my mum only Sister, whom I loved so much. She was so worried about my life as my condition was her mature problem in life. I had taken lots of antiviral treatment to get ride of the virus not believing what there said HIV has no cure. I was on the internet when i came across blogs of testimony about a lady who where cured of a 7 years diagnose of Herpes by this powerful Herbalist, Dr.Akpu.I wrote down his mail @ Dr.akpupowerherbscenter@gmail.com
    I told my Aunt,luckily it was the same Dr,we where referred to few months back by my pastor in church whom members have being testifying about of his cure We did contacted him and explained my problem to him.He prepared the medicine and sent to me with details of how to use and apply. After a while, I began to feel more strong than never before, I felt so lucky and happy when my Doctor congratulated me that he could found no HIV virus again in me. I knew I was free cos my body was so strong. His herbal medicine should have saved my parents life, i said!
    Thanks so much for reading my article, you should share your testimony if you have cure as well
    Dr.akpupowerherbscenter@gmail.com
    Is the solution

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