Tertiary syphilis occurs in a small percentage of patients who either did not receive therapy at all, or who received an incorrect treatment. Development of this stage of the disease is facilitated by such moments as: senile or child age, trauma, chronic diseases, alcoholism. Often, the tertiary period of syphilis wakes up 5-10 years after infection, characterized by prolonged latent periods.
Manifestations and features of the disease
Clinical manifestations of the tertiary stage of syphilis are of a local nature. This stage of the disease manifests itself in the form of infectious granulomas, destroying the tissues in which they originate. Granulomas can be localized in skin integuments, bones, internal organs, gradually destroying them and even leading to a fatal outcome.
Symptoms of tertiary syphilis
For advanced syphilis are characterized by tertiary syphilis - skin lesions, which eventually dissolve, leaving behind a rough scar tissue. Syphilis are like ulcers and come in two forms:
- Bugorkovye - localized on the skin;
- gummous - affect any tissues, destroy even bones and cartilage, often form on the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, causing nasal bleeding, purulent rhinitis, deformities of the face, difficulty in speaking and eating.
Lesions of the internal organs cause myocarditis , aortitis, osteomyelitis, arthritis, stomach ulcers, hepatitis, neurosyphilis and other diseases, many of which are fatal.
The third stage of syphilis is not contagious, since treponema located in the body is localized in granulomas and dies in the process of their decay. Tertiary disease develops spasmodically: infrequent relapses replace rather long periods of calm. The disease is gaining momentum slowly and is not accompanied by acute inflammation and pain. Therefore, many people in need can not take into account the need to visit a specialist for a long time.
Treatment of the disease
Treatment of tertiary syphilis is systemic. First, a fourteen-day course of tetracycline or erythromycin is prescribed. It is replaced by two courses of penicillin therapy with an interval of 14 days. The characteristics of therapeutic measures are determined by a specialist, taking into account the state of the organism of the infected. Treatment is accompanied by monitoring of the affected organs. If necessary, restorative or symptomatic therapy is performed.