What are the three stages of syphilis?

What are the three stages of syphilis?

• A. Primary, Secondary, and Quaternary
• B. Incubation, Acute, Chronic
• C. Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary
• D. Latent, Active, Recurrent

Answer: (C)

Syphilis progresses through three classic clinical stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary. In the primary stage, infection presents at the site of entry with a painless sore called a chancre. It typically appears a few weeks after exposure and may heal on its own, but the infection remains in the body and remains infectious. The secondary stage follows weeks to months later and features widespread symptoms such as a diffuse rash (often on the palms and soles), mucous patches, lymphadenopathy, fever, and general malaise. These signs reflect systemic spread of the organism, and the condition is still contagious during this phase. The tertiary stage can develop years later if untreated. It involves more destructive manifestations such as gummatous lesions, cardiovascular problems like aortitis or aneurysm, and neurosyphilis, which can cause neurological or psychiatric symptoms. This stage is not contagious in most cases, but the damage can be severe and irreversible. There is also a latent stage where the infection is present without symptoms; this is not counted among the three classic clinical stages. The other options mix terms that aren’t used to describe the standard three stages (such as incubation, acute, chronic, latent/active/recurrent, or quaternary), so they don’t fit the typical framework.

Syphilis progresses through three classic clinical stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

In the primary stage, infection presents at the site of entry with a painless sore called a chancre. It typically appears a few weeks after exposure and may heal on its own, but the infection remains in the body and remains infectious.

The secondary stage follows weeks to months later and features widespread symptoms such as a diffuse rash (often on the palms and soles), mucous patches, lymphadenopathy, fever, and general malaise. These signs reflect systemic spread of the organism, and the condition is still contagious during this phase.

The tertiary stage can develop years later if untreated. It involves more destructive manifestations such as gummatous lesions, cardiovascular problems like aortitis or aneurysm, and neurosyphilis, which can cause neurological or psychiatric symptoms. This stage is not contagious in most cases, but the damage can be severe and irreversible.

There is also a latent stage where the infection is present without symptoms; this is not counted among the three classic clinical stages.

The other options mix terms that aren’t used to describe the standard three stages (such as incubation, acute, chronic, latent/active/recurrent, or quaternary), so they don’t fit the typical framework.