Syphilis: Oral Manifestations and Dental Considerations

An overview of syphilis, its oral signs, diagnosis, and management considerations for dentists.

1. SYPHILIS
L15

3. What is the name of the etiologic agent?
•Treponema pallidum

12. Clinical presentation of secondary syphilis in commissure
mucosa. Patient

14. Secondary stage Syphilis –
•Symptoms may include:
1.Fever
2.Fatigue
3.Weight loss
4.Anorexia
5.Pharyngitis
6.Myalgia
7.Arthralgia
8.Generalized lymphadenopathy

15. Latent stage Syphilis
•Defined as the period when patients are seropositive but demonstrate no clinical
signs or symptoms.
Latent syphilis can last for years.
•Can be interrupted in the first few years by recurrences of symptoms of
secondary syphilis.
•Treponemes can be present in the blood intermittently and may be passed across
the placenta to the fetus.
•60% of untreated patients with late latent syphilis continue to have asymptomatic
disease

16. Tertiary Syphilis
•After 15 years, 75% of untreated infected persons exhibit tertiary syphilis.
•50%-80% present with cardiovascular complications.
•9% develop syphilitic gumma, which are nonprogressive, localized nodules that can have
central necrosis.

18. painless palatal perforation because of gumma

20. Syphilitic rinitis
Plantar rash

21. Hutchinson Triad
Hutchinson teeth Interstitial keratitis
Sensoryneural
deafness

22. •Kumar, V., Abbas, A. K., & Aster, J. C. (2023). Robbins Basic
Pathology (11 th ed.). Elsevier - Health Sciences Division.
•Strayer, D. S., Saffitz, J. E., & Rubin, E. (2019). Rubin's
Pathology: Mechanisms of Human Disease (8th ed.). Wolters
Kluwer.
REFERENCES