Health Conditions

Potential Complications for Men, Women, and Children/Newborns:

1. Neurosyphilis is syphilis that affects the nervous system - the brain, spinal chord, and nerves. There are four types of neurosyphilis that range from a patient being asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) to experiencing symptoms such as headaches, incontinence (inability to control passage of urine, memory loss, delusions, and muscle paralysis. Neurosyphilis occurs in about 8% of individuals who go untreated. It can appear at any time, from 5 to 35 years after the onset of primary syphilis. Neurosyphilis affects men more frequently than women and Caucasians more than African-Americans.

2. Cardiovascular syphilis can lead to a heart attack, scarring of the valves in the heart, heart failure, or the formation of an aortic aneurysm (an abnormal blood-filled expansion of a blood vessel resulting from disease of the vessel wall). Cardiovascular syphilis usually begins within 5 to 10 years after initial infection, but it may not occur until 20 to 30 years after the initial syphilis infection.

3. Benign Late Syphilis begins 3 to 10 years after the initial infection and is characterized by the development of gummas. Gummas are rubbery tumor-like growths that are most likely to involve the skin or long bones but may also develop in the eyes, throat, liver, or stomach.

4. Periosteal inflammation or inflammation of the membrane surrounding the bone. Individuals may experience pain due to the inflammation. This inflammation leads to thickening of the bone. This thickening is most often seen on the skull, leg bones, breastbone, and ribs.

5. Skin damage including scaling of the skin and alopecia (loss of or thinning of the hair, eyebrows and beard).

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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.