Does syphilis cause thoracic aortic aneurysm?

Does syphilis cause thoracic aortic aneurysm?

The incidence of late manifestations of syphilis have declined almost to a rare entity since the era of antibiotics. Before the discovery of penicillin, tertiary syphilis infection was the most common cause of thoracic aortic aneurysm, resulting in 5–10% of cardiovascular deaths [1, 2].

What is syphilitic aortic aneurysm (SAA)?

Syphilitic aortic aneurysm (SAA) is caused by tertiary stage of syphilis infection. As the wide application of penicillin, this complication is becoming rarer than before. However, syphilitic aortitis (SA) dose still exist in developed and developing country (Vaideeswar 2010; Roberts et al. 2009 ).

What are the possible complications of syphilitic aortitis?

Syphilitic aortitis is reported in 70–80% of untreated cases after the primary infection, and in 10% of these patients, significant cardiovascular complications will occur, such as aortic aneurysm, aortic regurgitation and coronary ostia stenosis [ 1 ].

Why is it important to diagnose aortic syphilis?

Aortic syphilis is important to diagnose so that patients can receive antibiotic therapy to delay, prevent, or treat neurosyphilis, a common accompaniment of aortic syphilis. Keywords: Aortic aneurysm; Aortic regurgitation; Aortic syphilis; Aortitis.