Oral syphilis

Oral syphilis

Oral sex can spread syphilis between the mouth and genital areas. Syphilitic lesions appear 10 to 90 days after infection and are usually painless unless they become secondarily infected. A syphilis lesion is highly infectious. The syphilis lesion begins as a raised bump that erodes into a painless ulcer with a smooth, grayish surface. The lips, tongue, and mucosal areas of the oral cavity may be affected. During the secondary stage of syphilis, mucous patches are extremely infectious, might develop in the mouth. Both the chancre and mucous patch heals by itself, even without antibiotic therapy. Syphilis in the oral cavity often is asymptomatic and can be mistaken by patients for ulcers or herpes, thereby delaying treatment and transmitting syphilis to others.