N.Frewan, PL2 Neonatology Division July 2008

Congenital Syphilis

Background

 Between 1905 -1910, Schaudinn & Hoffman identified cause of syphilis

T pallidum

as the  The name "syphilis" was coined by Italian physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro in his Latin written poem “Syphilis sive morbus gallicus” ("Syphilis or The French Disease") in 1530

Introduction

    Curable STD caused by the Treponema pallidum organism 1998: Complete genetic sequence of

pallidum

was published which helped understanding the pathogenesis of syphilis Belongs to “Spirochaetaceae family” The genus name, thread “

Treponema,

is

T.

derived from the Greek term for "turning

Treponema Pallidum

 Thin  Motile  Extremely fastidious  Survive only briefly outside host  Not cultivated successfully on artificial media

Transmission

 

Direct sexual contact with ulcerative lesions of skin or mucous membranes Trans placental: Typically during second half of pregnancy As early as 6 weeks of gestation Pregnant with primary or secondary syphilis are more likely to transmit the disease than those with latent (not clinically apparent) disease

Cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils

Congenital syphilis

 Severe, disabling, and often life threatening infection seen in infants  About half of all infected fetuses die shortly before or after birth

Incidence US



Despite the fact of being curable if caught early, rising rates among pregnant ♀ in the US have recently ↑ the number of infants born with congenital syphilis



1985-1990: overall incidence ↑ 75% ( Sex-Drug traffic)

Incidence US



1998: 81.3% of reported cases of CS occurred because the mother received no/inadequate penicillin tx before or during pregnancy



According to the CDC: 40% of births are stillborn 40-70% of the survivors will be infected & 12% of these will subsequently die

Reported cases for infants < 1 year of age and rates of 1ry & 2ry syphilis among women: United States, 1997–2006

Rates for infants < 1 year of age: US, 1997–2006 and the Healthy People 2010 target as per STD surveillance

Incidence International



Worldwide, predominantly in large cities



Certain European countries have seen ↑in congenital syphilis cases



Major public health problem in sub Saharan Africa and developing world



Main focus in control: Antenatal screening & treatment of infected mothers

Jul-2006

Pathophysiology CS

 Trans placental transmission  Transmission rate:~ 60 - 100%  With early onset disease, manifestations result from trans placental spirochetemia and are analogous to secondary stage of acquired syphilis  CS does not have a primary stage

Clinical Manifestations

 Intra-uterine: -Placenta -Fetus  Post-natal: - Early - Late

Intra-uterine: Placenta

 The placenta is typically large and edematous  Characteristic placental findings include: - Hydrops placentalis Chronic villitis Perivillous fibrous proliferation Normoblastemia Necrotizing funisitis Acute chorioamnionitis Plasma cell deciduitis

Intra-uterine: Fetus

   Depends on stage of development at time of infection & duration of untreated infection Initially characterized by placental involvement and hepatic dysfunction (e.g., abnormal LFT), followed by amniotic fluid infection, hematologic abnormalities, ascites, and hydrops Stillbirth / Neonatal death

Intra-uterine: Fetus

 >24 weeks gestation: 66 % of fetuses have either congenital syphilis or T.Pallidum detected in amniotic fluid  Intrauterine death: 25 % of affected  Perinatal mortality: 25-30 %, if untreated

Post-Natal

 Among survivors, manifestations been divided into: Early stage = First 2 years Late stage = After 2 years   Inflammatory changes do not occur in the fetus until after first trimester → organogenesis is unaffected Nevertheless, all organ systems may be involved

Early CS- Asymptomatic

 Occurs between 0 - 2 years  If asymptomatic : - Identified on routine prenatal screening - If not identified and treated, these newborns develop poor feeding and rhinorrhea ➨ Earliest signs of CS may be poor feeding and snuffles (i.e., syphilitic rhinitis)

Symptomatic Early CS

If Symptomatic:       Variable Appear within 1 st 5 weeks of life Stillborn/ Premature Failure to gain weight or FTT Fever / Irritability Severe congenital pneumonia

Symptomatic Early CS

 Most striking lesions affect the mucocutaneous tissues and bones: - Mucous patches - Rhinitis =snuffle - Condylomatous lesions ➨ ➨ highly characteristic features of mucous membrane involvement in CS

Symptomatic Early CS

 Snuffles → Followed quickly by diffuse maculopapular desquamative rash that involves extensive sloughing of the epithelium, on the palms & soles and around the mouth & anus  When chronic → “Saddle Nose”  Lesions & nasal fluid: highly infectious

Symptomatic Early CS

 Bullous skin disease known as “pemphigus syphiliticus” ➲ Early rash -- small blisters on the palms and soles → Ulcerated ➲ Later rash -- copper-colored, flat or bumpy rash on the face, palms, and soles

Symptomatic Early CS

 Other early manifestations include hepatosplenomegaly (100%), jaundice, anemia  Metaphyseal dystrophy and periostitis often are noted on radiographs at birth +/_ Pseudoparalysis

Congenital syphilis - early evidence of infection - bullae and vesicular rash

Multiple, punched out, pale, blistered lesions, with associated desquamation of palms & plantars

Intraoral mucous patches & facial skin lesions

Secondary lesions on feet

Lesions first appeared during 4 th week

Late-onset CS

 Develop from scarring related to early infection  Can be prevented by treatment within first 3 months  Can appear as late as 40 years after

Late-onset CS

 Manifestations include neurosyphilis and involvement of teeth, bones, eyes, and 8th cranial nerve  E.g.: Frontal bossing, short maxilla, high palatal arch, Hutchinson triad, saddle nose, and perioral fissure (Rhagades = bacterial infection of skin lesions )

Hutchinson triad

1.

2.

3.

Deafness (10 – 40 years) Hutchinson’s teeth = centrally notched, widely-spaced peg-shaped upper central incisors Interstitial Keratitis → blindness (5-20 years)

Notched incisors known as Hutchinson’s teeth

Moribund newborn with CS O ral / skin lesions and saddle nose

Metaphyseal osteomyelitis R adiolucent distal radius & ulna with cupping distal ulna

Osteochondritis of femur & tibia

1-m-old . Classical Wimberger's sign of destructive metaphysitis involving medial aspects of distal femora and proximal tibae

“Saber shins” = Osteoperiostitis Tibia

Interstitial keratitis

Possible Complications

 Blindness  Deafness  Facial deformity  Neurological problems

Labs

Definitive diagnosis: 1.

2.

By direct visualization of spirochetes using darkfield microscopy Or direct fluorescent antibody tests of lesion exudate or tissue (Placenta/UC) -Helpful early in the disease, prior to development of seroreactivity

Serologic tests

Presumptive diagnosis can be made using Nontreponemal ( False + in medical conditions) Treponemal (False+ in other spirochetal Diseases) → So use of only one type is insufficient - If nontreponemal test is +→ confirmatory testing is performed with a specific treponemal test

Nontreponemal test

 VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory)  RPR (Rapid plasma reagin)  ART (Automated reagin test )

Nontreponemal test

Used for screening (sensitive but not specific) - Inexpensive, performed rapidly, and provide quantitative results → helpful indicators of disease activity & monitor treatment response Measures Ab directed against lipoidal Ag from T. Pallidum, Ab interaction with host tissues or both Nonspecific Ab develop 4-8 weeks following infection

Nontreponemal test

 False negative Early primary S Latent acquired S Late CS

Prozone

phenomenon  False Positive Viral infection ( EBV, Hepatitis, Varicela, Measles) Lymphoma TB Malaria Endocarditis CT diseases Pregnancy IV drugs Wharton Jelly contamination in cord samples

Nontreponemal test

   Any reactive NT test must be confirmed by Treponemal test to exclude false positive Treatment should not be delayed if symptomatic or at high risk of infection Monitor: Sustained 4 fold ↓NT test titer after treatment → Adequate treatment - Sustained ↑: Re-infection or relapse

Nontreponemal test Newborn Dilemma

 Testing of newborn often is problematic because IgG antibody may be a reflection of maternal rather than infant infection  i.e.

Unless NT titer is much higher in baby than in mother → f/u serology over 1 required to make a diagnosis st 6 months of life, when maternal IgG is lost, would be Loosing precious time in treatment initiation

Treponemal Specific Test



T pallidum immobilization (TPI)



Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS)



Microhemagglutination assay for antibodies to T pallidum (MHA-TP

)

Treponemal Specific Test



Confirm + nontreponemal reaginic test



Remain positive for life i.e. Result do not correlate with disease activity and tests are not quantified



False + reactions: → Other spirochetal diseases (e.g., yaws, pinta, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, relapsing fever, Lyme disease

Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis

  

CSF VDRL Could be negative and still develop signs of neurosyphilis →Therefore, all those with presumptive CS should be treated A nonquantitative VDRL test is the only serologic test that should be performed on CSF

Other test like FTA-ABS are less specific on CSF samples

CBC

 CS characterized by anemia, thrombocytopenia, and either leukopenia or leukocytosis  Evidence of Coombs-negative hemolytic anemia or a leukemoid reaction may be present

Imaging Studies

 CXR: - Syphilitic pneumonia is common in CS - Fluffy diffuse infiltrate “pneumonia alba”

Imaging Studies

 Long bone radiography – – – 95% of symptomatic infants and 20% of asymptomatic Multiple sites of osteochondritis at wrists, elbows, ankles and knees and periostitis of long bones The lower extremities almost always affected

Imaging Studies

 Neuroradiography: Findings nonspecific May mimic herpes simplex virus MRI may reveal cerebral hypertrophy and hyperintensity in the temporal lobes

CDC Newborn Evaluation

 The diagnosis of CS is complicated by the trans placental transfer of maternal nontreponemal and treponemal IgG Abs to fetus ➨ Making interpretation of reactive serologic tests for CS difficult

CDC Newborn Evaluation

Evaluation should include: 1.

2.

Maternal H/O syphilis including tx type & adequacy before and during the pregnancy P/E of newborn 3.

4.

5.

Quantitative NT & T tests CBC, long bone x-rays, CSF (VDRL, cell count, protein), and CXR and/or LFT Pathologic examination of placenta or umbilical cord using specific fluorescent antitreponemal antibody staining

CDC Newborn Evaluation

 A presumptive diagnosis, which results in tx, is made if baby has + serologic test and any of following: 1.

Compatible findings on P/E 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

CSF abn. (+ VDRL, ↑ WBC, or ↑protein) Osteitis on x-ray long bones Placentitis NT test 4x > than maternal Positive FTA-ABS-19S IgM antibody

Treatment

 IV Penicillin G is the drug of choice for all stages of syphilis including CS  Infants: - 100,000 - 150,000 U/kg/d IV Q12 x 7 d. then Q 8 to complete 10 days - Or Procaine Penicillin G 50,000 U/kg/d IM once for 10 days ( adequate CSF conc. may not be achieved)

Treatment

 Indications: 1.

2.

3.

4.

If newborn meets any of criteria If mother was treated < 4 weeks prior to delivery If mother treated with other than penicillin If maternal titers suggest inadequate response to treatment before or early in pregnancy

Syphilis In Pregnancy

 In communities in which risk for CS is high → serologic testing and a sexual history also should be obtained at 28 weeks gestation and at delivery  Treat all pregnant patients with penicillin, regardless of the stage of pregnancy

Syphilis In Pregnancy

 3 doses of benzathine penicillin (2.4 million U IM at 1-week intervals)  No proven alternative treatment for patient allergic to penicillin i.e. Erythromycin for patient allergic to penicillin is not reliable treatment for fetus

Evaluation and Treatment of Infants During the First Month of Life

The following scenarios describe the evaluation and treatment of infants for congenital syphilis

Scenario 1 Infants with proven or highly probable disease and    Abnormal P/E consistent with CS Serum quantitative NT titer 4x > mother’s titer or + darkfield or fl. ab. test of body fluids

Scenario 1 Infants with proven or highly probable disease and Recommended Evaluation Recommended Regimens    CSF analysis for VDRL, cell count & protein CBC w. diff.& PL count Other tests as clinically indicated ( long-bone x rays, CXR, LFT, HUS, ophthalmologic exam, and BAER)   Aqueous crystalline penicillin G 50,000 U/kg/dose IV Q 12 hrs. first 7 DOL and Q 8 hrs thereafter for a total of 10 days OR Procaine penicillin G 50,000 units/kg/dose IM in a single daily dose for 10 days

Scenario 2 Normal P/E & serum quantitive NT titer ≤ 4 x maternal titer    Mother not / inadequately treated, or no documentation Mother was treated with erythromycin or other nonpenicillin regimen or Mother received treatment < 4 weeks before delivery

Scenario 2 Normal P/E & serum quantitive NT titer ≤ 4 x maternal titer Recommended Evaluation Recommended Regimens    CSF analysis for VDRL, cell count, and protein CBC w. diff. and PLT count Long-bone X-rays    Aqueous cryst. penicillin G 50,000 u./kg/dose IV Q 12 hrs during the 1st 7 DOL and Q 8 hrs thereafter for a total of 10 days OR Procaine penicillin G 50,000 units/kg/dose IM in a single daily dose for 10 days OR Benzathine penicillin G 50,000 units/kg/dose IM in a single dose

Scenario 3 Normal P/E & serum quantitive NT titer ≤ 4 x maternal titer  Mother was treated during pregnancy, tx. was appropriate for the stage of infection, and treatment was administered > 4 weeks before delivery….. and  Mother has no evidence of reinfection or relapse

Scenario 3 Normal P/E & serum quantitive NT titer ≤ 4 x maternal titer

Recommended Evaluation

⇩ No evaluation required

Recommended Regimen

⇩ Benzathine penicillin G 50,000 units/kg/dose IM in a single dose

Scenario 4 Normal P/E & serum quantitive NT titer ≤ 4 x maternal titer  Mother’s treatment was adequate before pregnancy…. and  Mother’s NT titer remained low and stable before, during pregnancy and at delivery (VDRL <1:2; RPR <1:4)

Scenario 4 Normal P/E & serum quantitive NT titer ≤ 4 x maternal titer

Recommended Evaluation

⇩

Recommended Regimen

⇩ No evaluation required No treatment required

Outlook (Prognosis)

 Infected early in pregnancy ➨ stillborn  Treatment of expectant mother ↓ risk of CS  Babies who become infected when passing through birth canal have better outlook  Death from CS is usually through pulmonary hemorrhage

References

     www.cdc.gov/STD/STATS/figs.gif

Red Book (27 th edition)- 2006 Overview of TORCH infections: Karen E Johnson, MD. Uptodate 2006 Early congenital syphilis: Ameeta Singh, BMBS MSc,* Karen Sutherland, RN BScN,† Bonita Lee, MD MSc- pubmed Congenital syphilis re-emerging.

Simms I, Broutet N.