title: Secondary syphilis in the oral cavity and the role of the dental surgeon in STD prevention, diagnosis and treatment: a case series study.
abstract: Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Syphilis has three clinical stages and may present various oral manifestations, mainly at the secondary stage. The disease mimics other more common oral mucosa lesions, going undiagnosed and with no proper treatment. Despite the advancements in medicine toward prevention, diagnosis, and treatment syphilis remains a public health problem worldwide. In this sense, dental surgeons should be able to identify the most common manifestations of the disease in the oral cavity, pointing to the role of this professional in prevention and diagnosis. This study describes a case series of seven patients with secondary syphilis presenting different oral manifestations.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Faculdade de Odontologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Creta Elisa
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Seibt
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Faculdade de Odontologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: mcmunerato@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Munerato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000066794:Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010819:Physician's Role; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins
keywords: Oral manifestations; Secondary syphilis; Treponema pallidum