The rare presentation of oral gonorrhea is nonspecific and varied and may range from slight erythema to severe ulceration with a pseudomembranous coating. The patient may be either asymptomatic or incapacitated with limitations of oral function. Definitive diagnosis of oral lesions should be attempted, and the patient should be under the care of a physician. Treatment of the oral lesions is then symptomatic. Syphilis is the third most frequently reported infectious disease in the US, surpassed only by gonorrhea and chickenpox.
Congenital syphilis occurs when the fetus is infected in utero by an infected mother.
The primary site of syphilitic infection is usually the genitalia, although primary lesions also occur on the lips, tongue, finger, nipples, and anus. Etiology and clinical presentation. The etiologic agent of syphilis is Treponema pallidum , which is a slender fragile anaerobic spirochete. It is easily killed by heat, drying, disinfectants, and soap and water. Syphilis is treated with parenteral long-acting benzathine penicillins.