Acquired oral syphilis: A multicenter study of 339 patients from South America.

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinicopathologic features of acquired oral syphilis cases in South American countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data were retrospectively collected from the records of 18 oral diagnostic services in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, and Peru. Serologies of nontreponemal and treponemal tests were used for diagnosis. RESULTS: The series comprised 339 cases of acquired oral syphilis. Secondary syphilis ranked as the most common stage (86.7%). Lesions were more frequent among males (58.0%) and young adults with a mean age of 33.3 years. Individuals aged 20-29 years were most affected (35.3%). The most commonly involved sites were the tongue (31.6%), lip/labial commissure (25.1%), and hard/soft palate (20.4%). Clinically, acquired oral syphilis usually presented as mucous patches (28.4%), papules (25.7%), and ulcers (18.1%). Skin manifestations occurred in 67.7% of individuals, while lymphadenopathy and fever were observed in 61.3% and 11.6% of all subjects, respectively. Most patients were treated with the benzathine penicillin G antibiotic. CONCLUSION: This report validates the spread of acquired oral syphilis infection among young adults in South America. Our directives include accessible diagnostic tools for proper disease screening, surveillance, and counselling of affected individuals, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Labor induction with a combined method (pharmacologic and mechanical): A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a combined misoprostol-Foley catheter induction of labor protocol against the current guidelines of our department. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized trial was conducted comparing two cervical ripening study groups: combined misoprostol-cervical Foley and the current department practice (misoprostol alone or dinoprostone alone). Women were stratified randomly according to parity for the two intervention groups. The primary outcome was defined as time to delivery (in hours). Secondary outcomes were cesarean delivery rate, time to active labor (defined as dilatation 6 cm or greater), delivery within 12 h, delivery within 24 h, maternal length of stay and indication for cesarean delivery. A composite of maternal morbidity and neonatal morbidity were also analyzed. RESULTS: 142 women were randomized into one of the two groups (74 for treatment group and 68 for control group). Demographic and clinical characteristics were similar among the two groups. The primary outcome, the average time to delivery, was faster in the treatment group (22.7 h vs 27.2 h, p = 0.03) and this difference was higher in the nulliparous subgroup (24.2 h vs 29.2 h, p = 0.03). Active phase of labor was achieved faster in the treatment group (17.9 h vs 22.7 h, p = 0.008). The risk for cesarean section was similar in both groups (OR 0.801 (0.527-1.217) vs OR 1.203 (0.871-1.662), p = 0.278). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the combined method of cervical Foley with vaginal misoprostol for women presenting to induction of labor with unfavorable Bishop scores reduces time to delivery safely. The risk for cesarean section was similar in both groups.