Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Syphilis is an STD that has been around for centuries. It is caused by a
microscopic bacterial organism called a
spirochete. The scientific name for the organism is
Treponema pallidum. The spirochete is a wormlike,
spiral-shaped organism that wiggles vigorously when viewed under a microscope.
It infects the person by burrowing into the moist, mucous-covered lining of the
mouth or genitals. The spirochete produces a classic, painless ulcer known as a
chancre.
What are the symptoms of syphilis?
There are three stages of
syphilis, along with an inactive (latent)
stage. Formation of an ulcer (chancre) is the first stage. The chancre develops
any time from 10 to 90 days after infection, with an average time of 21 days
following infection until the first symptoms develop. Syphilis is highly
contagious when the ulcer is present.
The infection can be transmitted from
contact with the ulcer which teems with spirochetes. If the ulcer is outside of
the vagina or on the male's scrotum,
condoms may
not prevent transmission of the infection by contact. Similarly, if the ulcer is
in the mouth, merely kissing the infected individual can spread the infection.
The ulcer can resolve without treatment after three to six weeks, but the disease can recur
months later as secondary syphilis if the primary stage is not treated.
In most women, an early infection resolves on its own, even without
treatment. However, 25% will proceed to the second stage of the infection called
"secondary" syphilis, which develops weeks to months after the primary stage and
lasts from four to six weeks. Secondary syphilis is a
systemic stage of the disease, meaning that it can involve various organ
systems of the body. In this stage, patients can initially experience many
different symptoms, but most commonly they develop a
skin
rash, typically appearing on the palms of the hands or the bottoms of the
feet, that does not itch. Sometimes the skin rash of secondary syphilis is very
faint and hard to recognize; it may not even be noticed in all cases. This
secondary stage can also include
hair loss, sore throat,
white patches in the nose, mouth, and vagina,
fever, and
headaches. There can be
lesions on the genitals that look like
genital warts but are caused by
spirochetes rather than the wart virus. These wartlike lesions, as well as the
skin rash, are highly contagious. The rash can occur on the palms of the hands,
and the infection can be transmitted by casual contact.
Subsequent to secondary syphilis, some patients will continue to carry the
infection in their body without symptoms. This is the so-called latent stage of
the infection. Then, with or without a latent stage, which can last as long as
20 or more years, the third (tertiary) stage of the disease can develop. At this
stage, syphilis usually is no longer contagious. Tertiary syphilis is also a
systemic stage of the disease and can cause a variety of problems throughout the
body including:
abnormal bulging of the large vessel leaving the heart (the
aorta), resulting in heart
problems;
the development of large nodules (gummas) in various organs of the
body;
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs,
are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure,
including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual
devices, such as vibrators. Women can contract all of the STDs, but may have no symptoms, or have different symptoms than men do.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a ballooning or widening of the main artery (the aorta) as it courses down through the abdomen. The most common cause of aortic aneurysms is
"hardening of the arteries" called arteriosclerosis.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the most common and serious complication of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), aside from AIDS, among women. The signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease include: fever, vaginal discharge with a foul odor, abdominal pain, including pain during intercourse, and irregular vaginal bleeding. Pelvic inflammatory disease can scar the Fallopian tubes, ovaries, and related structures and lead to ectopic pregnancies, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and other serious consequences. Pelvic inflammatory disease treatment includes several types of antibiotics.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. HPV is primarily transmitted by sexual contact. While some people develop warts in the genital region after infection, others experience no symptoms. Though genital warts can be removed, there is no cure for HPV infection. There is a vaccine to prevent infection from four common HPV types.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that are transmitted during any
type of sexual exposure, including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and
the sharing of sexual devices, such as vibrators. Although treatment exists for many STDs, others currently are
usually incurable, such as those caused by HIV, HPV, hepatitis B and C, and HHV-8.
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection transmitted during sexual contact. In women, symptoms include a yellow vaginal discharge, burning or frequent urination, and redness, swelling, burning and itching of the vaginal area. Gonorrhea can be treated with injectable (penicillin) or oral medications.
Eye floaters are deposits or condensation that forms in the eye's vitreous humor. These deposits cast shadows on the retina, and as the eye moves, the deposits shift position, making it appear as though the shadows are moving or floating.
Hepatitis is most often viral, due to infection with one of the hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, E, F (not confirmed), and G) or another virus (such as those that cause infectious mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus disease). The main nonviral causes of hepatitis are alcohol and drugs. Many patients infected with hepatitis A, B, and C have few or no symptoms of illness. For those who do develop symptoms of viral hepatitis, the most common are flu- like symptoms including: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, weakness, tiredness, and aching in the abdomen. Treatment of viral hepatitis is dependant on the type of hepatitis.
Optic neuritis is inflammation of the optic nerve, the structure that connects the eye to the brain. The precise cause of optic neuritis is unknown, but it is thought to be a type of autoimmune disorder. Optic neuritis most commonly develops due to an autoimmune disorder that may be triggered by a viral infection.
Aortic dissection is a small tear in the large blood vessel that leads from the heart and supplies blood to the body. There are two types of aortic dissection, type 1 and type 2. Signs and symptoms of aortic dissection include a tearing or ripping pain, nausea, sweating, weakness, shortness of breath, sweating, or fainting. Treatment depends on the type of aortic dissection, and the severity of the tear in the aorta.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
Sexual health information including birth control, impotence, herpes, sexually transmitted diseases, staying healthy, women's sexual health concerns, and men's sexual health concerns. Learn about the most common sexual conditions affecting men and women.
Superior vena cava syndrome is compression of the superior vena cava vein located in the upper chest. Causes of superior vena cava include lung cancer, lymphoma, other cancers in the chest, blood clots in the superior vena cava, or infection. Symptoms of the syndrome include shortness of breath. Superior vena cava syndrome is diagnosed by ultrasound, chest x-ray, CT scan, and in some cases biopsy. Treatment depends upon the cause of the syndrome.
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