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Sífilis primaria - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Sífilis secundaria; Sífilis tardía; Sífilis terciaria

Definición:

La sífilis es una enfermedad de transmisión sexual que se diagnostica con frecuencia.

Causas, incidencia y factores de riesgo:

La sífilis es una enfermedad infecciosa de transmisión sexual causada por la espiroqueta Treponema pallidum. Esta bacteria causa la infección al penetrar en la piel o en las membranas mucosas rotas, por lo general de los genitales. Esta enfermedad casi siempre se transmite por contacto sexual, aunque también se puede transmitir de otras formas.

La sífilis ocurre en todo el mundo. Es más común en áreas urbanas y el número de casos está aumentando más rápidamente en los hombres homosexuales. La población de más alto riesgo son los adultos jóvenes con edades que van desde los 15 hasta los 25 años. Las personas no tienen ninguna resistencia natural a esta enfermedad.

Dado que las personas pueden ignorar que están infectadas con sífilis, muchos estados exigen exámenes para esta enfermedad antes del matrimonio. A todas las mujeres embarazadas que reciben atención prenatal se les debe hacer un examen de detección para sífilis con el fin de evitar que la infección se transmita al bebé recién nacido (sífilis congénita).

La sífilis tiene tres etapas:

  • Sífilis primaria
  • Sífilis secundaria
  • Sífilis terciaria (la fase tardía de la enfermedad)

Las sífilis secundaria, terciaria y congénita no se ven tan frecuentemente en los Estados Unidos como en el pasado, debido a la disponibilidad de:

  • Clínicas para enfermedades de transmisión sexual patrocinadas por el Estado
  • Pruebas de detección para sífilis
  • Educación pública acerca de las ETS
  • Exámenes prenatales
  • Reviewed last on: 8/30/2010
  • Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Referencias

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recommendations and Reports: Sexually Transmitted Diseases. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2006;55(RR-11).

Screening for syphilis infection in pregnancy: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:705-709.

Screening for syphilis infection. Topic Page. July 2004. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. Accessed 6/28/2010.

Tramont EC. Traponema pallidum (syphilis). In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 238.

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