Dementia, cardiovascular damage, blindness, and death are possible complications of:
tertiary syphilis
chlamydia
pelvic inflammatory disease
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is tertiary syphilis.
Tertiary syphilis is the late stage of syphilis infection, which occurs years or even decades after the initial infection if left untreated. The disease progresses through three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary. While the primary and secondary stages are typically treatable with antibiotics, tertiary syphilis can cause severe complications if not properly managed.
During the tertiary stage, which typically manifests 10–30 years after the initial infection, the bacteria Treponema pallidum can cause significant damage to various organs. The complications include dementia, cardiovascular damage, blindness, and, in severe cases, death. Here’s a breakdown of how these complications occur:
- Dementia: One of the most serious complications is neurosyphilis, which affects the nervous system, leading to cognitive decline, dementia, and other neurological problems. The infection can damage the brain and spinal cord, resulting in mental deterioration and loss of intellectual function.
- Cardiovascular damage: Tertiary syphilis can lead to cardiovascular syphilis, which primarily affects the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. This can lead to the formation of aneurysms (bulging of the artery wall), which may rupture, causing life-threatening bleeding. The heart valves can also become damaged, leading to heart failure.
- Blindness: The bacteria can invade the eyes, leading to ocular syphilis. This may result in blindness, especially if untreated, due to inflammation and damage to the optic nerves or other structures of the eye.
- Death: If left untreated, the cumulative damage from the infection in various organs can be fatal.
In contrast, chlamydia and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are sexually transmitted infections (STIs) but do not typically cause the same severe long-term complications as tertiary syphilis. Chlamydia can lead to PID and infertility if left untreated, but it is not associated with the specific complications seen in tertiary syphilis.