TITLE:
The Difficulties of Congenital Syphilis Diagnosis about 3 Cases at Libreville, Gabon
AUTHORS:
C. M. Essomo Megnier-Mbo, S. Mayi, Y. Vierin, A. Ndjoyi Biguino, J. Koko, A. Moussavou
KEYWORDS:
Congenital Syphilis, Diagnosis, Difficulties, Libreville, Gabon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.4 No.2,
April
21,
2014
ABSTRACT:
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.