Abstract
Objective The incidence of syphilis and congenital syphilis has increased in recent years according
to European and United States of America official data: indeed, 2019 was the second
consecutive year when the number of reported cases has increased. Syphilis is a venereal
disease caused by a spirochete, Treponema pallidum. Congenital syphilis is a consequence of maternal T. palidum transmission to a fetus at any stage of maternal disease, via a transplacental pathway
or during labor.
Methods To investigate the incidence, characteristics, and temporal evolution of neonates
with suspected congenital syphilis (proven, possible, or less likely and unlikely)
or born from mothers with treated and untreated latent syphilis, we designed a retrospective
and descriptive study of hospitalized neonates between 2001 and 2020, in a level II
hospital located in the northern Portuguese countryside.
Results We report a total of 22 neonates, 50% female. Pregnancy was unsupervised or had inadequate
surveillance in 36% of cases (n = 8), in 32% (n = 7) syphilis was not treated, and in 14% (n = 3) it was inadequately treated. All neonates studied with suspected congenital
syphilis were asymptomatic and all were treated with penicillin for a mean duration
of 11 days. Of the 22 neonates with suspected congenital syphilis, 20 had possible
congenital infection. Social vulnerability was also an important factor present in
our study group.
Conclusion Despite being an ancient disease, congenital syphilis is still a concern mostly due
to the lack of adequate pregnancy surveillance and maternal/partner diagnosis and
treatment.
Keywords
congenital syphilis - risk factors - hospitalization - treatment
