Destruction of Soft Tissue and Bone
Soft tissue and bone destruction are rare symptoms of syphilis, generally occurring late in the disease. A more typical presentation early on is a painless, red sore that usually occurs on the genitalia (where syphilis is most likely to be transmitted during sexual intercourse) or inside the mouth. This sore is called a chancre and can take several weeks to develop after infection, but once it appears, it takes from two to twelve weeks to go away. Bone destruction can occur at any stage of syphilis, but it usually doesn’t appear until years after the initial infection.
Syphilis bacteria attack different cells in the body, which can lead to various symptoms. The disease starts with only minor symptoms like sores and rashes and progresses slowly over time to cause extensive damage to organs and bones. A number of these symptoms seem unrelated because they affect different organ systems. Still, they’re all part of one disease that can occur anywhere in the body.
