What are the symptoms of tertiary syphilis?

Written by Cui Lin Jing
Dermatology
Updated on April 01, 2025
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Tertiary syphilis mainly occurs two to three years, or even five to ten years or longer, after infection. The primary skin manifestations are gummas, which often occur on the extensor side of the lower legs, and can present as ulcerations, erosions, nodules, and hyperplasia. It may also involve bones, joints, the heart, and blood vessels. The main manifestations include aortitis, aortic valve insufficiency, and aortic aneurysms. When the nervous system is involved, it can present as spinal tuberculosis and general paralysis, which are symptoms of paralytic dementia. The diagnosis of tertiary syphilis requires serological tests and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The treatment involves primarily penicillin and benzathine penicillin, with erythromycin or tetracycline as alternatives for patients allergic to penicillin, and requires a longer course of treatment.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
43sec home-news-image

Can you still have children with third-stage syphilis?

Third-stage syphilis is the most severe stage of the disease, and it is not possible to have children if one has third-stage syphilis, because syphilis can be transmitted from mother to fetus. The infectivity is particularly strong during the third stage. If a child is conceived at this time, it could lead to stillbirth. Besides stillbirth, even if the child is born by chance, they may have abnormal development or be born with diseases. This is tremendously painful and tormenting for both the parent and child. Therefore, one cannot have children with third-stage syphilis.

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Written by Luo Hong
Dermatology Department
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Can syphilis be completely cured?

Syphilis can generally be completely cured nowadays, except neurosyphilis which is somewhat harder to treat, as ordinary syphilis is curable and neurosyphilis may relapse occasionally. However, most current cases of syphilis fall into categories of latent, primary, or secondary syphilis. Tertiary syphilis is less common, and forms such as neurosyphilis and osteal syphilis belong to this stage. Therefore, when treated at a regular hospital with a standard treatment regimen, primarily using penicillin, administered as a long-acting intramuscular injection once a week, the recommended course of treatment usually consists of three to four weeks. If there is an allergy to penicillin, doxycycline can be used as an oral substitute for half a month.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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How long does tertiary syphilis appear?

Tertiary syphilis often appears two to three years after contracting syphilis. Syphilis is staged based on the time of onset, and is typically divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary stages. Tertiary syphilis is the latest and most severe stage among these, often affecting the heart, nervous system, skin, and other areas. Due to the risk of severe complications, early and timely treatment is recommended to prevent the occurrence of tertiary syphilis.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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Can tertiary syphilis be transmitted?

Third-stage syphilis is contagious, but its infectivity is weaker compared to first-stage and second-stage syphilis. However, the damage caused by third-stage syphilis is very severe, often causing damage to tissues and organ functions. It can potentially cause disabilities, deformities, or even life-threatening conditions. Therefore, the characteristic of third-stage syphilis is its weak infectivity but strong damaging effects. Thus, it is crucial to take third-stage syphilis seriously and seek regular and timely treatment.

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Written by Qu Jing
Dermatology
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How long is the latency period of syphilis?

Syphilis is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum (TP), primarily transmitted through sexual contact and blood. The impact of syphilis is significant as it can affect all bodily tissues and organs, or can be transmitted through the placenta, leading to stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth, and congenital infections. When syphilis is suspected, due to its complex clinical manifestations, a detailed medical history should be taken, a thorough physical examination conducted, and repeated laboratory tests performed to ensure an early and accurate diagnosis. It is important to trace back to any unprotected sexual contacts within the last six weeks and to routinely screen the sexual partners of patients for syphilis as well. Syphilis is divided into three stages: The diagnosis of primary syphilis is mainly based on the history of exposure, the incubation period (six weeks), typical clinical manifestations, and laboratory tests, noting that a negative syphilis serology result alone should not exclude the diagnosis of syphilis. The diagnosis of secondary syphilis primarily relies on the history of exposure, typical clinical manifestations, especially skin and mucosal lesions, combined with laboratory tests. The diagnosis of tertiary syphilis is mainly based on the history of exposure, typical clinical manifestations, and laboratory tests. Neurosyphilis can also be assessed through cerebrospinal fluid examination. Congenital syphilis primarily requires a maternal history of the disease, combined with typical clinical manifestations and laboratory tests for diagnosis.