Diagnóstico clínico y de laboratorio de las enfermedades venéreas

Abstract

This article deals with two veneral diseases: gonorrhea and syphilis, especially early syphilis. Early infectious syphilis is disasatrous for the community, as are late lesions for patient. Following the signs and symptoms that occur in early syphilis, the disease becomes latent. By definition latent syphilis is manifested only by reactive serological tests. A study of untreated syphilis now in its 34th year of observation reveals that the syphilitic group continues to have higher mortality and morbidity than the control group; of the systems affected the cardiovascular is most commonly involved. Twelve per cent of the remaining syphilitics examined had clinical evidence of late syphilis, 64 per cent of these having cardiovascular involvement. Benign syphilis may coexist with more severe syphilis of the cardiovascular system and neurosyphilis. In treating syphilis in the pregnant female we are interested not only in curing the patient but also in preventing congenital syphilis. Adequate treatment of the mother during the first 18 weeks of gestation prevents infection of the baby. The diagnosis of congenital syphilis in the newborn cannot be made solely on the basis of a positive STS or TPI because the passive transfer of antibodies from the mother to the non-infected fetus may resul in positive seroligical tests in the infant for several months. The diagnostic laboratory tests for syphilis