General descriptionA painless ulcer develops at the site of incubation after approximately 3-6 weeks. “The lesion has a perforated base and rounded edges and is highly infectious.” Affected Population People around the peak of sexual activity are commonly the most affected. Those most commonly affected are between the ages of 35 and 39 and are most commonly men. In the United States, about 84% of cases are concentrated in the South. Prevalence: There are more than 12 million cases of syphilis worldwide. It is most common in sub-Saharan Africa, southern and southeastern Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In the United States, the District of Columbia is number one for most syphilis cases with 95.3 per 100,000 people. Louisiana is second with 38.9 cases. The South is home to just under half of all syphilis cases in the United States. Additionally, 75% of those affected in the United States are men who have sex with men. Classification: Syphilis can affect both the nervous system (neurosyphilis) and the cardiovascular system (cardiovascular syphilis). Mechanism of disease in acquired syphilis Treponema Pallidum pierces mucous membranes or skin abrasions and enters the blood and lymphatic vessels to infect. The incubation period lasts from exposure to the appearance of the first lesions at the inoculation site (10 to 90 days but generally around 3 weeks). In the secondary phase the central nervous system is invaded. After the first 5-10 years without treatment, the disease involves the meninges and blood vessels. This turns into meningovascular neurosyphilis which can damage the parenchyma of the brain and spinal cord ending in parenchymatous neurosyphilis. An infiltrate rich in plasma cells and endorthitis are signs of syphilis. “Endarteritis is… middle of paper… that, nausea or rash. These symptoms generally disappear within a day. Prognosis: After early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment, syphilis can be eradicated from the body. Secondary syphilis can take a few weeks to a year to completely clear from the system. One-third of patients who receive no treatment later develop syphilis, which can lead to death. Scientific Advancement: Works CitedLinks: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/229461-overview#a0104 Mechanism of disease, general description, affected population http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats06/tables/table25. htm Affected population, prevalence http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm Symptoms http://www. webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/syphilis Symptoms http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/syphilis-tests Diagnosis http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000861. htm Result, treatment