TY - JOUR
T1 - Occurrence of congenital, cardiovascular, visceral, neurologic, and neuro-ophthalmologic complications in late yaws
T2 - A theme for future research
AU - Roman, Gustavo C.
AU - Roman, Lydia N.
AU - Roman, Gustavo C.
AU - Roman, Lydia N.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by a grant (COL-8900) from the RegionalOffice of the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization for the study of tropical spastic paraparesis in Colombia.
PY - 1986/9
Y1 - 1986/9
N2 - Late lesions of yaws are thought to be limited to skin, bones and joints, without congenital, visceral, or central nervous system (CNS) involvement. However, the treponemes isolated from patients with yaws, endemic syphilis, and venereal syphilis are genetically identical subspecies of Treponema pallidum. The controversy surrounding distinctions between syphilis and yaws is presented in its historical context, and reports of congenital, visceral, and CNS complications of yaws are reviewed. Isolation of treponemes from aqueous humor, as well as CSF abnormalities in 24.9% of 902 patients with yaws, indicate the existence of CNS involvement. The high prevalence of tropical myeloneuropathies of unknown origin discovered in areas of previous treponemal endemicity, particularly in Jamaica and Colombia, may represent late complications of yaws. Careful analysis of the collected evidence indicates that potential sequelae of yaws include congenital, visceral, and tertiary CNS lesions identical to those of venereal syphilis. The current worldwide resurgence of endemic treponematoses provides an unparalleled opportunity to settle conclusively questions still unanswered regarding the natural history of these infections.
AB - Late lesions of yaws are thought to be limited to skin, bones and joints, without congenital, visceral, or central nervous system (CNS) involvement. However, the treponemes isolated from patients with yaws, endemic syphilis, and venereal syphilis are genetically identical subspecies of Treponema pallidum. The controversy surrounding distinctions between syphilis and yaws is presented in its historical context, and reports of congenital, visceral, and CNS complications of yaws are reviewed. Isolation of treponemes from aqueous humor, as well as CSF abnormalities in 24.9% of 902 patients with yaws, indicate the existence of CNS involvement. The high prevalence of tropical myeloneuropathies of unknown origin discovered in areas of previous treponemal endemicity, particularly in Jamaica and Colombia, may represent late complications of yaws. Careful analysis of the collected evidence indicates that potential sequelae of yaws include congenital, visceral, and tertiary CNS lesions identical to those of venereal syphilis. The current worldwide resurgence of endemic treponematoses provides an unparalleled opportunity to settle conclusively questions still unanswered regarding the natural history of these infections.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022779819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0022779819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/clinids/8.5.760
DO - 10.1093/clinids/8.5.760
M3 - Article
C2 - 3538316
AN - SCOPUS:0022779819
SN - 0162-0886
VL - 8
SP - 760
EP - 770
JO - Reviews of Infectious Diseases
JF - Reviews of Infectious Diseases
IS - 5
ER -