Criteria for Diagnosis of Benign and Cardiovascular Syphilis

Involvement of the heart and major blood vessels is one of the late sequelae of untreated syphilis, occurring years after exposure.

Signs and symptoms of cardiovascular syphilis:

(1) aneurysm of thoracic aorta

(2) aortic valve insufficiency

(3) occlusion of coronary ostia

(4) myocardial gumma

Criteria for Definitive Diagnosis: observation of treponemes in tissue sections by direct microscopic examination with DFAT-TP

Criteria for Presumptive Diagnosis:

(1) reactive treponemal test

AND

(2) no known history of treatment for syphilis

AND

(3) characteristic symptoms of benign or cardiovascular syphilis

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