pinta

Epidemiology

• endemic non-venereal spirochete infection with Treponema pallidum subspecies carateum
• occurs among the natives of Mexico, Central America, & South America
• not very contagious
• transmission probably requires contact with broken skin

Clinical manifestations

• lesions are confined to the dermis
• lesions begin at the inoculation site as a small papule that enlarges & becomes hyperkeratotic
• lesions develop mainly on the extremities, face, & neck
• after 3 to 9 mo, further thickened & flat lesions (pintids) appear all over the body & over bony prominences
• later, some lesions become slate blue or depigmented, resembling vitiligo

Laboratory

• see syphilis
• morphologically & serologically indistinguishable from the agent of syphilis Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum

Management

• penicillin

More general terms

• syphilis