Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Govindavarjhulla, M.B.B.S. [2] Aravind Kuchkuntla, M.B.B.S[3]
Pathophysiology of congenital syphilis is still unclear. Several theories have been postulated in regards to the duration of the mother's infection as well as the stage of pregnancy in which infection occurs.
- Transmission to the fetus is primarily transplacental but it can also occur during delivery in the presence of maternal genital lesions.[1][2][3]
- The risk of transmission to the fetus is dependent on the stage of the maternal disease (dependent on the spirochete concentration in the blood stream) and the duration of exposure to the fetus in utero.[4]
- The risk of vertical transmission of syphilis from an infected untreated mother decreases as maternal disease duration progresses: transmission risk of 70–100% for primary syphilis and 40% for early latent syphilis to 10% for late latent disease. The variation in the percentages with the duration of infection is due to the concentration of spirochetes in the blood stream, which decrease with the duration of maternal syphilis infection.[5]
- Kassowitz's law describes the inverse relationship of interval between the disease and pregnancy. Longer the interval between infection and pregnancy more benign is the outcome.[6]
- Transmission of infection typically takes place between the 16th and 28th week of pregnancy, however the transmission can be as early as the first trimester of pregnancy.[7]
Template:WikiDoc Sources