Symptoms of Syphilis

General information about symptoms of Syphilis: The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible symptoms of Syphilis. This symptom information has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of symptoms of Syphilis. Furthermore, symptoms of Syphilis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of symptoms and whether they are indeed symptoms of Syphilis.

List of symptoms of Syphilis: The list of symptoms mentioned in various sources for Syphilis includes:

• Primary syphilis symptoms
  • Chancre - a painless open genital sore usually on penis or vagina; rarely hands, mouth or anus; sometimes inside vagina or on cervix.
  • Penis ulcer
  • Vaginal ulcer
  • Internal vaginal ulcer
  • Cervix ulcer
  • Hand ulcer
  • Mouth ulcer
  • Genital ulcer
  • Anal ulcer - less common than a genital ulcer
  • Very contagious
  • Enlarged groin lymph nodes
  • Enlarged lymph nodes - all over the body
  • Chancre disappears - the chancre will disappear with or without treatment
  • Enlarged lymph nodes return to normal
• Secondary syphilis symptoms - about a third of untreated patients will progress. These symptoms appear 3-6 weeks after the chancre. (Or 1 to 6 months later.)
  • Skin rash
  • Small brown sores
  • Wart-like lumps
  • Genital wart-like lumps
  • Mouth lining rash
  • Rash on palms of hand
  • Rash on soles of feet
  • Rash on chest
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Mild fever
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Loss of appetite
  • Muscle aches
  • Tiredness
  • Patchy hair loss
  • Swollen lymph glands
  • Swollen underarm lymph nodes
  • Swollen groin lymph nodes
  • Swollen neck lymph nodes
  • Intermittent symptoms - the symptoms of secondary syphilis can come and go for up to 2 years
  • Very contagious
  • Chancre - may reappear
  • Multiple chancres
  • Genital ulcers
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Highly contagious phase of syphilis
• Latent syphilis symptoms
  • No symptoms
  • Not contagious
• Tertiary syphilis symptoms - Usually many months or years later. Less than a third of cases progress to tertiary syphilis
  • Greatly varied symptoms depending on organs affected by syphilis
  • Multiple non-cancerous tumors
  • Skin tumors
  • Muscle tumors
  • Bone tumors
  • Brain tumors
  • Spinal cord tumors
  • Heart tumors
  • Liver tumors
  • Stomach tumors
• Late syphilis symptoms - after severe progression of tertiary syphilis
  • Mental illness
  • Blindness
  • Neurologic problems
  • Heart disease
  • Death
  • Neurosyphilis
    • No symptoms
    • Headache
    • Stiff neck
    • Fever
    • Seizures
    • Stroke-like symptoms
    • Paralysis
    • Numbness
    • Weakness
    • Visual problems

Symptoms of Syphilis: The first symptoms of syphilis may go undetected because they are very mild and disappear spontaneously. The initial symptom is a chancre; it is usually a painless open sore that usually appears on the penis or around or in the vagina. It can also occur near the mouth, anus, or on the hands. If untreated, syphilis may go on to more advanced stages, including a transient rash and, eventually, serious involvement of the heart and central nervous system. The full course of the disease can take years. Penicillin remains the most effective drug to treat people with syphilis.¹

The initial infection causes an ulcer at the site of infection; however, the bacteria move throughout the body, damaging many organs over time. Medical experts describe the course of the disease by dividing it into four stages – primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary (late). An infected person who has not been treated may infect others during the first two stages, which usually last one to two years. In its late stages, untreated syphilis, although not contagious, can cause serious heart abnormalities, mental disorders, blindness, other neurologic problems, and death. ²

The first symptom of primary syphilis is an ulcer called a chancre ("shan-ker"). The chancre can appear within 10 days to three months after exposure, but it generally appears within two to six weeks. Because the chancre may be painless and may occur inside the body, it may go unnoticed. It usually is found on the part of the body exposed to the partner’s ulcer, such as the penis, the vulva, or the vagina. A chancre also can develop on the cervix, tongue, lips, or other parts of the body. The chancre disappears within a few weeks whether or not a person is treated. If not treated during the primary stage, about one-third of people will progress to chronic stages.

Secondary syphilis is often marked by a skin rash that is characterized by brown sores about the size of a penny. The rash appears anywhere from three to six weeks after the chancre appears. While the rash may cover the whole body or appear only in a few areas, the palms of the hands and soles of the feet are almost always involved. Because active bacteria are present in these sores, any physical contact – sexual or nonsexual – with the broken skin of an infected person may spread the infection at this stage. The rash usually heals within several weeks or months. Other symptoms also may occur, such as mild fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, as well as patchy hair loss, and swollen lymph glands throughout the body. These symptoms may be very mild and, like the chancre of primary syphilis, will disappear without treatment. The signs of secondary syphilis may come and go over the next one to two years.

If untreated, syphilis may lapse into a latent stage during which the disease is no longer contagious and no symptoms are present. Many people who are not treated will suffer no further consequences of the disease. Approximately one-third of those who have secondary syphilis, however, go on to develop the complications of late, or tertiary, syphilis, in which the bacteria damage the heart, eyes, brain, nervous system, bones, joints, or almost any other part of the body. This stage can last for years, or even for decades. Late syphilis, the final stage, can result in mental illness, blindness, other neurologic problems, heart disease, and death.²

The first symptom of primary syphilis is a sore called a chancre ("shan-ker"), which can appear within 10 days to 3 months after exposure. Chancres usually develop on the part of the body exposed to the bacteria, such as the penis, the vulva, or the vagina, as well as the cervix, tongue, lips, or other parts of the body. Because the chancre is ordinarily painless and sometimes occurs inside the body, it may go unnoticed. The next stage of syphilis is marked by a skin rash that appears anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks after the chancre appears, sometimes accompanied by symptoms like mild fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, as well as patchy hair loss, and swollen lymph glands throughout the body.³

More symptoms of Syphilis: In addition to the above information, to get a full picture of the possible symptoms of this condition and its related conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by complications of Syphilis, underlying causes of Syphilis, associated conditions for Syphilis, risk factors for Syphilis, or other related conditions.

Medical articles on symptoms: These general reference articles may be of interest:

• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Symptoms and Medical Malpractice

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