Dental development in congenital syphilis

Sarnat, Bernard G.; Shaw, Noel G.

doi:10.1016/s0096-6347(43)90109-7

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…These include multiple notching or serrated edges which were seen in five patients [63] pitted enamel hypoplasia of the upper central and lateral incisors and primary and secondary dental caries on numerous teeth [64]. Narrowing and a reduction of the dentinoenamel junction of the permanent incisors and first molars, with a reduction in the size of the crowns and constriction of mamelons, was also noted by Sarnat and Shaw [27].…”

Section: Differential Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 85%

“…However, in those patients that do survive, the disease causes a disturbance in dental development producing abnormalities that are distinguishable features of the disease. The most recognisable are Hutchinson's incisors, while others include Moon's molars and Fournier's "mulberry" molars [15,16,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. It is this characteristic that can support a differential diagnosis of the disease.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diagnosis of Mercurial Teeth in a Possible Case of Congenital Syphilis and Tuberculosis in a 19th Century Child Skeleton

Ioannou

Henneberg

et al. 2015

Journal of Anthropology

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Without the presence of “caries sicca,” “sabre shins,” and nodes/expansion of the long bones with superficial cavitation, differential diagnosis of venereal syphilis and tuberculosis (TB) may be difficult as various infections produce similar responses. However, congenital syphilis has distinctive features facilitating a diagnosis. A case study of remains of a juvenile European settler (probably male, 8–10 years old) (B70) buried in the 19th century and excavated in 2000 from the cemetery of the Anglican Church of St. Marys in South Australia is presented. B70 demonstrated that the two diseases might have been present in the same individual, congenital syphilis and TB. Widespread destruction of vertebral bodies and kyphosis-related rib deformations indicate advanced TB. Severe dental hypoplasia is limited to permanent incisors and first molars; there is pitting on the palate, periosteal reaction on the skull vault, and thinned clavicles. Dental signs are not limited to “screwdriver” central incisors and mulberry molars. Apical portions of the crowns of permanent upper, lower, central, and lateral incisors have multiple hypoplastic-disorganized defects; deciduous canines have severely hypoplastic crowns while possibly hypoplastic occlusal surfaces of lower deciduous second molars are largely destroyed by extensive caries. These dental abnormalities resemble teeth affected by mercurial treatment in congenital syphilitic patients as described by Hutchinson.

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Section: Differential Diagnosismentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnosis of Mercurial Teeth in a Possible Case of Congenital Syphilis and Tuberculosis in a 19th Century Child Skeleton

Ioannou

Henneberg

et al. 2015

Journal of Anthropology

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“…De Wilde (1943) reported nonspecific changes in dentin. Sarnat and Shaw (1942) found both enamel and dentin to be normal in histology, with all deformities attributable to shape changes at the dentinoenamel junction. Bradlaw (1953) suggested that degeneration of the central ameloblasts produces the notches in Hutchinson's incisors, and reported areas of amorphous enamel along the dentinoenamel junction.…”

Section: The Central Upper Incisors Are the Test-teethmentioning

confidence: 88%

Congenital syphilis in the past: Slaves at Newton Plantation, Barbados, West Indies

Jacobi

Cook

Corruccini

et al. 1992

American J Phys Anthropol

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Hutchinson's incisors and Moon's molars are specific lesions of congenital syphilis. The extensive but fragmentary clinical literature on these conditions describes reduced dimensions and thin enamel in the permanent incisors and first molars, crowding and infolding of the first molar cusps, notching of the upper incisors, and apical hypoplasias of the permanent canines. A Barbados slave cemetery (ca. 1660-1820 AD) includes three individuals with these features, suggesting a frequency at birth of congenital syphilis in the population approaching 10%. These three cases show triple the frequency of all hypoplasias and more than seven times the frequency of pitting hypoplasia present in the remainder of the series. The recognizable congenital syphilis cases account for much of the remarkably high frequency of hypoplasias in the series as a whole. We infer that syphilis contributed substantially to morbidity, infant mortality, and infertility in this population. Presence or absence of congenital syphilis may account for much of the variability in health and mortality seen among nineteenth century African-American populations.

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“…of cases of congenital syphilis in which comparison of size of the unerupted molars was possible after x ray, it was found that the mandibular first molar was smaller than the mandibular second molar. Sarnat and Shaw (1943) laid particular stress on the importance of x rays of unerupted teeth in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis, and recommended that x rays of these teeth should be a routine diagnostic procedure in addition to x rays of the long bones. Characteristic incisor teeth had been demonstrated radiologically as early as the second to the fourth year of life.…”

Section: British Journal Of Venereal Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%