A five year retrospective study on Syphilis in the Sexual Transmitted Disease Centre (STDC) of the teaching Hospital Umberto I in Rome.
ANNALI DI IGIENE : MEDICINA PREVENTIVA E DI COMUNITA 2019;
30:66-70. [PMID:
29215133 DOI:
10.7416/ai.2018.2197]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
A retrospective study describing syphilis epidemiological and clinical features in patients referring to an infectious diseases centre in Rome, Italy.
METHODS
Between January 2011 and December 2015 demographic, behavioral and clinical data were collected from all adult patients attending the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Centre of the Teaching Hospital Umberto I in Rome.
RESULTS
Overall 723 patients, 495 males and 228 females, with syphilis infection diagnosis were included. Average age 39.6 ± 13.6 years (median 38) was higher in men than women (41.1 ± 13.6 vs. 36.3 ± 13.1; p<0.001). Patients were from Italy (486 or 67.2%), EU (90 or 12.4%), rest of Europe (38 or 5.3 %), Americas (46 or 6.4%), Africa (36 or 5.0%) and Asia (27 or 3.7%). One-hundred-twenty-three (17.0%) presented primary syphilis, 43 (5.9%) secondary syphilis, 8 (1.1%) tertiary syphilis, 246 (34.0%) serological syphilis, 80 (11.1%) preceding syphilis, 56 (7.7%) gravidic syphilis and 167 (23.1%) came to the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Centre to control a preceding syphilis treatment. Fifty-six (24.6%) women were diagnosed with syphilis during their pregnancies. Among Chinese female patients, those pregnant represented 87.5%. There were 100 subjects (13.8%) simultaneously HIV+ and 623 (86.2%) HIV- patients. HIV co-infection affected more frequently men (RR 5.30; CI 2.62 - 10.72; p<0.001). In males HIV co-infection affected more frequently homosexuals (RR 11.72; CI 6.72 - 20.45; p<0.001). Overall HIV co-infection affected more frequently foreign patients, specially from the Americas (26.1%), Africa (25.7%) and Asia (22.2%).
CONCLUSION
A serious problem of "gravidic syphilis" suggests the need for Public Health preventive action. Also an early diagnosis of both syphilis and HIV infection should be reinforced.
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