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Start free with EleplanCongenital syphilis
ORPHA:499009Disease
Also called MTCT of syphilis · Mother-to-child transmission of syphilis
What it is
A rare teratologic disease caused by vertical transmission of the spirochete Treponema pallidum from an infected mother to the fetus, characterized by early congenital syphilis during the first two years of life (maculopapular rash progressing to desquamation, hepatosplenomegaly, osteochondritis, snuffles, and iritis), followed by late congenital syphilis with the classic Hutchinson's triad of Hutchinson's teeth, interstitial keratitis, and eighth nerve deafness. Additional signs may include saddle nose, saber shins, seizures, and mental retardation. Congenital syphilis can also result in stillbirth, neonatal death, and nonimmune hydrops.
Key facts
- Prevalence
- 1-9 / 100 000 (Europe)
- Age of onset
- Antenatal, Neonatal
- Inheritance
- Not applicable
- Classified as
- Disease
Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.
Signs and symptoms
Common30–79%
11Sometimes5–29%
27and 19 more in this range
These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.
ICD-10 codes
Related health topics
Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.
Cross-references
Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.
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