A syphilis rash is a distinctive skin rash associated with the secondary stage of syphilis. If the patient is not treated, the rash will resolve on its own and the disease will enter the latent stage, exposing the patient to the risk of complications in the future. With treatment, the bacteria responsible for syphilis infection can be eliminated from the body and the disease will not become latent. Syphilis treatment is available through general practitioners, as well as specialists such as gynecologists and urologists, and generally involves taking a course of antibiotics.
People become infected with syphilis when they come into contact with syphilis ulcers, sites where an active infection occurs. Most cases are transmitted through sexual contact with sores around the genitals or mouth. Once someone is infected, the bacterial infection will form an ulcer in primary syphilis. The patient is contagious during this stage, until the ulcer heals. In weeks or months, a syphilis rash will develop.
This rash occurs most often on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands, although it can occur on other parts of the body. It is rough and reddish to brown in color, and pustules sometimes develop along with the syphilis rash. This rash is generally not itchy, although it may feel uncomfortable, and as it resolves, the dead skin that remains may begin to peel, peel, and itch.
Syphilis rash can be contagious. While an active outbreak occurs, it is important to avoid skin-to-skin contact, especially with people who have a compromised immune system. Sometimes the syphilis rash is very mild and the diagnosis of syphilis may be missed, especially if the patient did not notice the ulcer during the primary stage. For this reason, it is important that sexually active people get regular tests for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections.
After a course of antibiotics, the patient's body must be free of the spirochete bacteria that cause syphilis. Without antibiotics, the disease can progress to the latent stage and eventually develop into tertiary syphilis, a very serious recurrence of the disease that can appear up to 10 years after the initial infection. Tertiary syphilis can be a debilitating and dangerous disease, as bacteria can spread throughout the body and cause widespread medical problems, including neurological problems if the bacteria manage to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain and spinal cord.