Brain Involvement in Congenital Syphilis: Case Series and Brief Literature Review - Abstract
Syphilis, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections globally, is caused by the spirochete, Treponema pallidum. It can be transmitted from an infected mother via the placenta to the fetus. Untreated syphilis during pregnancy has a transmission rate nearing 100%, but treatment with penicillin is 98% effective at preventing congenital syphilis. Most of the infants born with congenital syphilis are asymptomatic at the time of birth and are identified only by routine prenatal screening. We present three newborns infants born to mothers infected with syphilis who presented with abnormal neuroimaging findings at the time of birth.