The Progression of Syphilis

Syphilis, like Lyme disease, has three stages. The first stage occurs 2-3 weeks after an infection, as a blister-like lesion, called a chancre, will develop on the infected tissue. At this point only 80% of serological tests are positive and one out of every three cases does not progress to the second stage. The chancres will disappear and after a latency period of 2-10 weeks and the patient is not infectious. This is a picture of a skin lesion that occurs in the first stage of venereal syphilis.

In the second stage infected people will develop skin rashes, loss of hair, fever and malaise. At this point all serological tests are positive and 40% of untreated patients will progress to the third stage of the disease. This picture shows a charateristic skin rash of an infected person in the second stage of syphilis.

In the third stage large degenerative lesions called gummas form on the skin, bone and nervous system as a result of hypersensitivity reactions. Other symptoms include mental retardation, blindness and physical instability. This is a gumma that has formed on the hand of a patient in the tertiary stage of syphilis.

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