Author(s)

C. M. Essomo Megnier-Mbo, S. Mayi, Y. Vierin, A. Ndjoyi Biguino, J. Koko, A. Moussavou

Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Libreville, Gabon.
Departement Mère Enfant HIAOBO, Libreville, Gabon.
Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Libreville, Gabon.
Service de Réanimation Néonatale et Néonatologie HIAOBO, Libreville, Gabon.

First described embryo fetopathy, congenital syphilis remains a public health problem mostly in developing countries. The diagnosis mainly based on bacteriological and immunological evidence of mother-child couple is not always easy, as it is shown in our three clinical cases. Those three clinical observations demonstrate the difficulties encountered in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis in our country where only the TPHA (Treponema Pallidum Haemaglutination Assay) and VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) tests are the only ones to be routinely carried out. Actually, these tests can be negative at the earliest stage of the syphilis or in case of zonal phenomenon. In addition, maternal antibodies could be found in child blood, even if the baby is in good health. At last, the child could have been contaminated belatedly while tests were negative at the third month of pregnancy. Congenital syphilis still exists in our developing countries and, in order to better manage this pathology, a proposition of an efficient algorithm is submitted.

Congenital Syphilis, Diagnosis, Difficulties, Libreville, Gabon

Megnier-Mbo, C. , Mayi, S. , Vierin, Y. , Biguino, A. , Koko, J. and Moussavou, A. (2014) The Difficulties of Congenital Syphilis Diagnosis about 3 Cases at Libreville, Gabon. Open Journal of Pediatrics, 4, 121-128. doi: 10.4236/ojped.2014.42017.