Can tertiary syphilis be treated?

Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
Updated on December 28, 2024
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Third-stage syphilis is treatable, but typically, it develops two to three years after the initial syphilis infection, making it more severe than both the first and second stages—this is what we refer to as late-stage syphilis. Therefore, treating third-stage syphilis is somewhat more challenging than treating the first and second stages. Additionally, third-stage syphilis particularly tends to cause damage to cardiovascular, neurological, joint, and other organ systems. If it leads to severe complications, it can easily result in deformities, disabilities, or even death. Therefore, it is crucial to be especially vigilant if diagnosed with third-stage syphilis and to seek timely treatment at a hospital.

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Written by Huang Ling Juan
Dermatology
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Early symptoms of syphilis

Syphilis is a chronic, systemic sexually transmitted disease caused by the Treponema pallidum bacterium. It is highly contagious and very harmful. The early symptoms of syphilis usually include the appearance of a chancre. Typically, about three weeks after infection, a hard, painless, round nodule appears at the site of infection. It starts as a reddish, moist spot, then gradually becomes ulcerated and eroded, forming an ulcer. This is an early manifestation of syphilis, known as a chancre. The harm caused by syphilis is very significant. Once syphilis is diagnosed, it is crucial to start treatment early. Early prevention of syphilis is essential, and any early symptoms should be taken very seriously. Treatment can be administered under a doctor's guidance, usually involving the muscle injection of long-acting penicillin. (Under the guidance of a doctor for medication.)

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Written by Huang Ling Juan
Dermatology
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Can syphilis patients have children?

Syphilis patients can have children. After regular treatment, syphilis patients can conceive and bear children normally. After being treated for syphilis, the RPR test can become negative, indicating that there are no live syphilis spirochetes in the body and no infectivity. At this point, pregnancy is not affected. Some pregnant women, after treatment, can block mother-to-child transmission and prevent the spread of syphilis, which is a systemic sexually transmitted disease caused by infection with the syphilis spirochete. If a woman infected with syphilis becomes pregnant without undergoing standard syphilis treatment, the syphilis spirochete can infect the fetus through the placenta, leading to fetal disease. Some may experience stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth, or even the birth of a child with congenital syphilis. Therefore, it is recommended that syphilis patients undergo standard treatment to cure syphilis before becoming pregnant.

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Written by Luo Hong
Dermatology Department
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Is syphilis without symptoms serious or not serious?

Syphilis without symptoms is generally called latent syphilis. Whether asymptomatic syphilis is severe or not cannot be generalized. Some people react late, and some just have latent syphilis, which is seropositive without other symptoms. Of course, there might also be cases where people have relatively high degrees of TRUST or particularly high low degrees of RPR in latent syphilis. In such cases, symptoms might not be mild, and this type is highly contagious, which might lead to abnormalities in the cerebrospinal fluid. If there are abnormalities in the cerebrospinal fluid, these symptoms might not be mild early on and are actually quite serious. Early-stage neurological issues might include memory decline, which is not easily detectable.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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Can third-stage syphilis be completely cured?

Whether tertiary syphilis can be completely cured depends on the specific conditions of different patients. If tertiary syphilis has not caused serious complications, then timely and standard syphilis treatment at this stage can potentially lead to a cure. However, if it has been a long time and the condition has been neglected, it might cause severe damage to tissue and organ functions and can be life-threatening. At this point, it cannot be completely cured; even using anti-inflammatory drugs to treat syphilis cannot reverse the complications and greatly affects the quality of life.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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How long does it take to cure third-stage syphilis?

The healing time for third-stage syphilis varies from person to person. Third-stage syphilis is considered a late stage of the disease, and the situation is very serious for patients who have developed to this stage. Therefore, the duration of illness for most patients is usually very long; it could be several months or even years, which also depends on the patient's level of aggressive treatment and their own immune resistance. Additionally, it is necessary to consider complications of third-stage syphilis. If there are severe complications involving cardiovascular and nervous systems, or joint damage, recovery can be very prolonged and difficult.