Early congenital syphilis in a premature baby.
In the UK, diagnosis of syphilis among women of child-bearing age has more than doubled between 1999 and 2007, and each year, around ten cases of congenital syphilis have been reported. Doctors should, therefore, be aware of the potential presentation of congenital syphilis, a deadly disease yet curable when managed correctly. We present a rare case of a premature neonate of 29 weeks displaying manifold clinical signs of congenital syphilis acutely after delivery, including coagulopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, intraventricular ischaemic lesions and metaphyseal bone changes, not previously described in the literature at this age in the UK.
Department of Child Health, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, St Peter's Road, Margate CT9 4AN, UK. johngreenall@doctors.org.uk
John
J
Greenall
Niraj
N
Kumar
Elhassan
E
Abdelmagid
D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D006811:Humerus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013590:Syphilis, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis*