Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Syphilis
We report a case of a preterm infant with congenital syphilis who presented with non-immune hydrops fetalis. Hepatic dysfunction was present at birth and acutely worsened following antibiotic administration. Placental pathology demonstrated infiltration with numerous spirochetes. Although critically...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2019.00508/full |
| _version_ | 1818298184580988928 |
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| author | Jessica Duby Jessica Duby Ari Bitnun Ari Bitnun Vibhuti Shah Vibhuti Shah Patrick Shannon Patrick Shannon Shiri Shinar Shiri Shinar Hilary Whyte Hilary Whyte |
| author_facet | Jessica Duby Jessica Duby Ari Bitnun Ari Bitnun Vibhuti Shah Vibhuti Shah Patrick Shannon Patrick Shannon Shiri Shinar Shiri Shinar Hilary Whyte Hilary Whyte |
| author_sort | Jessica Duby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report a case of a preterm infant with congenital syphilis who presented with non-immune hydrops fetalis. Hepatic dysfunction was present at birth and acutely worsened following antibiotic administration. Placental pathology demonstrated infiltration with numerous spirochetes. Although critically ill, the infant recovered with intravenous penicillin G and supportive care. This case demonstrates that congenital syphilis remains a contemporary disease demanding enhanced awareness from clinicians. Manifestations evident in utero or in the newborn can be severe and may result in fetal demise or neonatal death. Moreover, we hypothesize that the treatment resulted in a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction as manifested by the hepatic deterioration. The incidence of congenital syphilis and its associated complications can be greatly reduced with strict adherence to universal prenatal testing and comprehensive follow-up. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:31:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14ed63b8508e441aa55fda6bde1c0d1e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:31:18Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-14ed63b8508e441aa55fda6bde1c0d1e2022-12-21T23:59:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602019-12-01710.3389/fped.2019.00508485420Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital SyphilisJessica Duby0Jessica Duby1Ari Bitnun2Ari Bitnun3Vibhuti Shah4Vibhuti Shah5Patrick Shannon6Patrick Shannon7Shiri Shinar8Shiri Shinar9Hilary Whyte10Hilary Whyte11Division of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDivision of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDivision of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaWe report a case of a preterm infant with congenital syphilis who presented with non-immune hydrops fetalis. Hepatic dysfunction was present at birth and acutely worsened following antibiotic administration. Placental pathology demonstrated infiltration with numerous spirochetes. Although critically ill, the infant recovered with intravenous penicillin G and supportive care. This case demonstrates that congenital syphilis remains a contemporary disease demanding enhanced awareness from clinicians. Manifestations evident in utero or in the newborn can be severe and may result in fetal demise or neonatal death. Moreover, we hypothesize that the treatment resulted in a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction as manifested by the hepatic deterioration. The incidence of congenital syphilis and its associated complications can be greatly reduced with strict adherence to universal prenatal testing and comprehensive follow-up.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2019.00508/fullcongenital syphilishydrops fetalishepatic dysfunctionpregnancy complicationsinfant-newborn |
| spellingShingle | Jessica Duby Jessica Duby Ari Bitnun Ari Bitnun Vibhuti Shah Vibhuti Shah Patrick Shannon Patrick Shannon Shiri Shinar Shiri Shinar Hilary Whyte Hilary Whyte Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Syphilis Frontiers in Pediatrics congenital syphilis hydrops fetalis hepatic dysfunction pregnancy complications infant-newborn |
| title | Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Syphilis |
| title_full | Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Syphilis |
| title_fullStr | Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Syphilis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Syphilis |
| title_short | Non-immune Hydrops Fetalis and Hepatic Dysfunction in a Preterm Infant With Congenital Syphilis |
| title_sort | non immune hydrops fetalis and hepatic dysfunction in a preterm infant with congenital syphilis |
| topic | congenital syphilis hydrops fetalis hepatic dysfunction pregnancy complications infant-newborn |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2019.00508/full |
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