Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It progresses through four stages if left untreated: primary, secondary, latent, and late syphilis. Stage 4, or late/tertiary syphilis, occurs 10-30 years after initial infection and can cause severe medical complications. At this advanced stage, syphilis becomes very difficult to cure fully. However, with proper diagnosis and treatment, the progression of late-stage syphilis can be stopped, symptoms can be managed, and transmission can be prevented.
What is stage 4 syphilis?
Stage 4 syphilis, also known as late or tertiary syphilis, occurs when the infection has progressed untreated for many years. At this stage, the bacteria can damage the heart, eyes, brain, nerves, bones, joints, blood vessels, and other organs. Late-stage syphilis is rare today due to widespread testing and treatment, but before penicillin became available in the 1940s, it was common.
Some signs and symptoms of late-stage syphilis include:
- Difficulty coordinating muscle movements
- Paralysis
- Numbness
- Gradual blindness
- Dementia
- Damage to organs like the heart, brain, liver, bones, and joints
Without treatment, late-stage syphilis can be fatal. Even with treatment, any damage already done to the body’s organs cannot be reversed. However, antibiotic treatment can prevent further progression and manage symptoms.
Is stage 4 syphilis curable?
Unfortunately, stage 4 syphilis cannot be fully cured. The tissue damage and organ damage done by late-stage syphilis is permanent. Treatment can kill the syphilis bacteria and stop further progression, but it cannot undo damage already done over the course of many years of infection.
However, proper diagnosis and treatment are still crucial, as they can:
- Stop the infection from getting worse
- Prevent disability and death
- Manage symptoms
- Prevent transmission to others
So in summary, while late-stage syphilis cannot be cured, its progression can be halted with antibiotics and the complications can be managed with proper medical care.
Diagnosing stage 4 syphilis
Diagnosing late-stage syphilis can be challenging because the signs and symptoms can resemble those of other diseases. There is no single test that can definitively diagnose late-stage syphilis. However, the following diagnostic steps may be used:
- Medical history – The doctor will ask about any symptoms, sexual history, and possible syphilis exposures.
- Physical exam – The doctor will look for signs of late-stage syphilis.
- Blood tests:
- Nontreponemal tests like RPR can screen for syphilis.
- Treponemal tests like FTA-ABS confirm syphilis.
- CSF-VDRL tests cerebrospinal fluid.
- Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid
- Imaging – CT, MRI, and ultrasound can check for organ damage.
- Biopsy – Taking a small tissue sample can help rule out other causes.
If initial screening tests come back positive, further confirmatory testing can be done to determine if the person has late-stage syphilis specifically.
Treating stage 4 syphilis
Penicillin remains the gold standard treatment for all stages of syphilis. The usual treatment for late-stage syphilis is:
- Benzathine penicillin G injected into a muscle weekly for 3 weeks
Alternative treatments may be used for penicillin-allergic patients or in cases of neurosyphilis. These include doxycycline, ceftriaxone, or azithromycin.
Even after treatment, follow-up testing is important to make sure the infection is responding. Some key points about treating late-stage syphilis include:
- Treatment can stop progression but cannot reverse organ damage.
- Patients should abstain from sex until treatment is complete.
- All sexual partners should be notified, tested, and treated.
- Neurosyphilis may require longer antibiotic courses.
- Symptoms may persist even after treatment if damage is extensive.
- Follow-up exams and CSF tests should be done at 6 months and 1 year.
While late-stage syphilis cannot be cured, sticking to the treatment regimen and working closely with healthcare providers can help halt the infection in its tracks.
Complications of untreated stage 4 syphilis
Leaving late-stage syphilis untreated can lead to severe, life-threatening complications. Some examples include:
| Complication | Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular syphilis | Aneurysm, enlarged aorta, coronary artery ostial stenosis |
| Neurosyphilis | Headache, insomnia, dementia, muscle weakness, paralysis |
| Gummatous syphilis | Granulomatous skin lesions, bone lesions, tissue damage |
Without treatment, late-stage syphilis can affect the heart, brain, nerves, eyes, bones, and other organs. This can lead to:
- Permanent disabilities
- Intense pain
- Difficulty walking, seeing, or swallowing
- Dementia
- Premature death
While complete cure is not possible at this advanced stage, antibiotics and supportive medical care can prevent these devastating complications.
Preventing late-stage syphilis
The best way to prevent complications of late-stage syphilis is to detect and treat syphilis in its early stages. Primary and secondary syphilis are very treatable if diagnosed quickly. Public health strategies to prevent late-stage syphilis include:
- Increasing access to screening tests
- Routinely screening high-risk groups, like sexually active gay and bisexual men
- Educating the public about syphilis symptoms and transmission
- Tracing partners of infected individuals and getting them treated
- Ensuring treatment completion and follow up
- Safer sex practices like condoms
On an individual level, the following can help prevent late-stage syphilis:
- Get screened regularly if sexually active, especially with new partners
- Notify partners immediately if diagnosed with syphilis
- Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed
- Follow up with doctor after treatment
- Wait 7 days after treatment before having sex again
- Use condoms
While no vaccine exists yet, preventing late-stage syphilis is possible with increased awareness, screening, and early treatment.
Conclusion
Late-stage syphilis cannot be cured fully once tissue damage has set in. However, proper diagnosis and antibiotic treatment are still important, as they can prevent disability and death by halting the infection’s progression. Close follow up after treatment and management of complications are key.
The best way to avoid the ravages of late-stage syphilis is prevention through regular screening, early diagnosis, and prompt antibiotic treatment. While syphilis is most treatable in its early stages, starting appropriate therapy even in late-stage disease can significantly improve outcomes. With continued efforts to detect and treat syphilis early, late-stage syphilis can become increasingly rare.