SECONDARY SYPHILIS Meaning and
Definition
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Secondary syphilis is a stage in the progression of syphilis, a chronic bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It follows the initial infection with primary syphilis and precedes the late stages of the disease if left untreated. Secondary syphilis typically occurs within a few weeks to a few months after the initial infection.
Characterized by a wide range of signs and symptoms, secondary syphilis is a systemic infection that affects multiple organ systems throughout the body. Prominent signs include a rash, particularly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. Less common symptoms may include patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, and generalized body aches.
The infection is highly contagious during this stage, and individuals can transmit it through sexual contact, blood transfusions, or vertical transmission from mother to fetus. Diagnosis is often made based on clinical signs and symptoms along with serological tests such as the treponemal and non-treponemal tests.
Upon accurate and timely diagnosis, secondary syphilis can be effectively treated with antibiotics, typically penicillin. Adequate treatment inhibits the progression of the infection and the development of late-stage complications. However, if left untreated, secondary syphilis can progress to a latent stage, where the signs and symptoms resolve but the bacteria remain in the body. In the absence of treatment during the latent stage, it ultimately leads to the much more severe consequences of late-stage syphilis, potentially affecting the cardiovascular and neurological systems.
Common Misspellings for SECONDARY SYPHILIS
- aecondary syphilis
- zecondary syphilis
- xecondary syphilis
- decondary syphilis
- eecondary syphilis
- wecondary syphilis
- swcondary syphilis
- sscondary syphilis
- sdcondary syphilis
- srcondary syphilis
- s4condary syphilis
- s3condary syphilis
- sexondary syphilis
- sevondary syphilis
- sefondary syphilis
- sedondary syphilis
- secindary syphilis
- seckndary syphilis
- seclndary syphilis
Etymology of SECONDARY SYPHILIS
The word "secondary" in "secondary syphilis" comes from the Latin word "secundarius", which means "secondary" or "subsequent".
The term "syphilis" originated from the Latin poem "Syphilis sive Morbus Gallicus" (Syphilis or the French Disease) written by the Italian physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro in 1530. Fracastoro attributed the disease to the mythical figure of Syphilus, who was said to have been punished by the gods with a plaguing illness. However, the term itself might have been a combination of the Latin word "syphillum" (a kind of fig) and "Syphilus", blending the bay tree-like appearance of the chancre associated with the disease.
Similar spelling words for SECONDARY SYPHILIS
