Syphilitic Endometritis Causing First Trimester Abortion: A Potential Infectious Cause of Fetal Morbidity in Early Gestation

Abstract

This report describes a 30-year-old woman with a history of prostitution and "crack" cocaine use during pregnancy. After an incomplete abortion at 11 weeks' gestation, a suction dilatation and curettage of uterine contents was done. Histopathologic examination revealed lymphoplasmacytic deciduitis and decidual necrosis, as well as rare first trimester chorionic villi. Silver staining using the Steiner technique showed numerous spirochetes, morphologically consistent with Treponema pallidum, in the decidualized endometrial tissues. This case of syphilitic endometritis, which appears to be the first reported, suggests that treponemal infection can cause fetal morbidity during early gestation.