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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · AJP Rep 2023; 13(01): e21-e24
DOI: 10.1055/a-2028-7727
Case Report

Complete Resolution of Nonimmune Hydrops Fetalis Secondary to Maternal Syphilis Infection

Andreea Dinicu
1   University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, Orange, California
,
Patrick Penalosa
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
,
Brian A. Crosland
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
,
Jonathan Steller
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
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Abstract

Maternal syphilis infection is a common infectious cause of nonimmune hydrops fetalis. Generally, hydrops fetalis is equated with poor prognoses in affected pregnancies. A 38-year-old G5P2114 presented at 285/7 weeks' gestation with newly diagnosed primary syphilis infection, sonographic findings of hydrops fetalis, and elevated middle cerebral artery Dopplers concerning for fetal anemia. Following treatment with intramuscular penicillin, the symptoms of hydrops fetalis were resolved and our patient delivered a healthy male neonate with no signs of congenital syphilis at the time of delivery. Routine and early testing for syphilis is an important component of prenatal care. Though not previously documented, the secondary findings of suspected fetal syphilis may be able to completely resolve in utero with penicillin treatment.

Keywords

fetal syphilis - maternal syphilis - hydrops fetalis - penicillin - early testing

Informed Consent

Patient consent was obtained prior to writing this report.




Publication History

Received: 07 August 2022

Accepted: 02 January 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
06 February 2023

Article published online:
16 March 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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