2016, Number 3
Acquired and congenital syphilis: our experience in the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Department, HIGA, San Martín, La Plata (2011-2015)
Bolomo G, Campoy MV, Garritano MV, Miraglia E, Gómez SMS, Ibáñez MJ, Alves E, Chiavassa AM
Full text
Language: Spanish
References: 14
Page: 198-205
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ABSTRACT
Introduction: Syphilis is one of the most common and oldest infectious diseases in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 12 million new cases per year and a prevalence of positive serology between three and 18% among pregnant women in underdeveloped countries. The epidemiological situation in Latin America and in our country is no exception to this phenomenon. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological characteristics and to compare our results with other statistical work, in order to identify potential features that may influence the control of the disease. Material and methods: We made a retrospective and descriptive study of patients with acquired syphilis who were diagnosed at the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Office of Dermatology and patients with congenital syphilis (SC) who were admitted at the Neonatology Service of the Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos San Martín in La Plata between January 2011 and December 2015. Results: We evaluated 826 medical records of 518 female patients (29.00 ± 12.37 years) and 308 males (33.73 ± 14.41 years). Eighty-two percent of our population lived in La Plata; 73% were Argentinian. The diagnosis at the time of admission in the STD Office was in 62% cases of late latent syphilis. Most of the patients were from other specialties, 46% of obstetrics. Twenty-five percent of the women were pregnant, while 29% were in the postpartum period. One hundred eighty-three of this group of 281 mothers had or had had their babies hospitalized in the Neonatology Service in our hospital with a diagnosis of congenital syphilis (CS). During the period of this study, the incidence of CS in our hospital was 1.35% in 2011, 1.44% in 2012, 1.31% in 2013, 1.43% in 2014 and 1.74% in 2015. As for the clinical manifestations of the disease, 91% were asymptomatic, while the rest presented different types of manifestations, the most prevalent being jaundice. Conclusions: We observed an increase in the cases of syphilis per year in all its clinical forms. Women were more affected than men and the most common form of presentation was late latent syphilis, which perhaps may be due to the fact that our hospital has a maternity facility. As for the CS cases in our hospital, they remained stable, with an increase in the past year rather mild compared with other Latin American countries. In our service, only 12% of the patients were discharged once they completed adequate treatment and only in half of the cases the contact control was satisfactory.REFERENCES