Congenital Syphilis and the Orthopaedic Perspective: A Case Report

We report a case of an otherwise healthy 4-month-old male infant presenting with unexplained metaphyseal lucent bands and diaphyseal periosteal reactions in bilateral extremities upon radiograph, who was ultimately diagnosed with congenital syphilis. After subsequent workup and treatment, the patient had appropriate range of motion of all extremities within 2 weeks after discharge.

The purpose of this report was to increase the awareness of the rising incidence of congenital syphilis in the United States and educate fellow orthopaedic surgeons on ways to differentiate the skeletal manifestations of congenital syphilis from other pathologies with significant bone involvement.