Syphilis. Diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations of the Polish Dermatological Society. Part 2: neurosyphilis, syphilis in pregnancy and congenital syphilis

Syphilis (lues) is a systemic bacterial disease transmitted mainly by sexual contacts and caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. Due to its numerous symptoms, including various cutaneous and mucosal manifestations, diagnosis and treatment should be performed by dermatology and venereology experts. The incidence of syphilis has been increasing in the last years and syphilis has become a significant epidemiological problem in contemporary medicine. Contrary to a number of other infectious diseases, etiological agents of syphilis have never been cultured. Thus, diagnostic standards are based on indirect methods, such as serological tests. They are also used for monitoring treatment efficacy. Parenteral penicillin remains the gold standard in therapy of syphilis. Part 2 of recommendations discusses in detail clinical presentation, diagnostics, and treatment of neurosyphilis, syphilis in pregnancy and congenital syphilis.