Congenital syphilis: Need for intensification of antenatal screening and clinician awareness

Congenital syphilis occurs due to trans-placental transmission of Treponema pallidum or rarely, intrapartum contact with infectious lesions. Even though preventable, congenital syphilis occurs sporadically in India, owing to lack of antenatal screening as well as the lack of awareness among clinicians about the burden of syphilis in the community. Since a significant overlap of clinical manifestations exists with many systemic diseases, awareness among clinicians is crucial for an early diagnosis. Renomegaly, nephrotic syndrome and nephritis can all be the signs of renal involvement in congenital syphilis, which can provide clues of the diagnosis. Direct invasion by spirochetes, hypersensitivity reactions and immune complex deposition in glomeruli contribute to the pathogenesis. We report a case of congenital syphilis characterised by delayed diagnosis with renal as well as cutaneous manifestations from missed maternal syphilis during the antenatal period and owing to the lack of antenatal screening.

Automated summary

Congenital syphilis occurs due to trans-placental transmission of Treponema pallidum or intrapartum contact with infectious lesions. It sporadically occurs in India due to lack of antenatal screening and awareness about syphilis burden among clinicians. Awareness among clinicians is crucial for early diagnosis as clinical manifestations overlap with many systemic diseases.