Spirochaeta pallida is known to affect every organ in the human body. It has been found in practically every organ in stillborn syphilitic infants and in newborn infants that have died of syphilis. The presence of S. pallida in the newborn on necropsy has been amply demonstrated by McCord 1 and others. Apparently these lesions heal rapidly if anti \x=req-\ syphilitic treatment is instituted early in life. It is for this reason that one does not see later in life some of the stigmas of syphilitic infection observed in young children. This is especially true of the heart and the circulatory system.While the occurrence of syphilitic aortitis in young children is of great interest to the clinician, no one has yet reported an authentic case of syphilis of the large vessels in early life diagnosed on clinical examination. Only on necropsy has it been possible to prove definitely that syphilis attacks the aorta and the adjacent large vessels in young children with congenital syphilis.Norris 2 reported 2 interesting cases of syphilitic aortitis with con¬ firmatory observations at necropsy. His first case was that of a child 9 years of age who had been well until four days before admission to the hospital. He came in a semiconscious condition. Roentgen ray examination of the chest showed an enlarged heart and a possible con¬ solidation of the lower lobe in the right lung. The patient died the next day. The necropsy revealed the following picture: The lesions were primarily in the aortic valves, which were thickened at the base; there was also a marked separation of the cusps. The sinuses of Valsalva
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.