An endemic bacterial infection caused by Treponema carateum. It is manifested with chronic cutaneous lesions. The early lesions consist of papules and erythematous plaques. The late lesions consist of hypochromic, achromic, hyperpigmented and atrophic lesions. The late skin lesions may cause destruction of bones and cartilage and produce disfiguring changes

Symptoms of Pinta

The following features are indicative of Pinta:
  • small, reddish and itchy papules on exposed areas of the arms and legs
  • secondary skin eruptions or pintids
  • local lymph nodes might be enlarged
It is possible that Pinta shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.

Get TabletWise Pro

Thousands of Classes to Help You Become a Better You.

Common Causes of Pinta

The following are the most common causes of Pinta:
  • Treponema carateum infection

Risk Factors for Pinta

The following factors may increase the likelihood of Pinta:
  • southern mexican population
  • central american population
  • south american population

Prevention of Pinta

Yes, it may be possible to prevent Pinta. Prevention may be possible by doing the following:
  • avoiding contact with the skin of an infected person

Occurrence of Pinta

Number of Cases

The following are the number of Pinta cases seen each year worldwide:
  • Extremely rare less than 1000 cases

Common Age Group

Pinta can occur at any age.

Common Gender

Pinta can occur in any gender.

Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Pinta

The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Pinta:
  • Microscopic examination of tissue samples: The spirochetes can be seen on dark field microscopy of samples taken from the early papules
  • Blood tests: Including VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test) and Treponemal antibody absorption test usually become positive only after the secondary skin lesions appear

Doctor for Diagnosis of Pinta

Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of Pinta:
  • Infectious Disease Specialist

Complications of Pinta if untreated

Yes, Pinta causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Pinta is left untreated:
  • dry, wrinkled thin skin

Time for Treatment of Pinta

While time-period of treatment for each patient may vary, below is the typical time-period for Pinta to resolve if treated properly under an expert supervision:
  • In 6 months - 1 year

Is Pinta Infectious?

Yes, Pinta is known to be infectious. It can spread across people via the following means:
  • any close contact (nonsexual) with the skin of an infected person

Related Topics

Last updated date

This page was last updated on 2/04/2019.
This page provides information for Pinta.

Related Topics

Pinta

Sign Up



Share

Share with friends, get 20% off
Invite your friends to TabletWise learning marketplace. For each purchase they make, you get 20% off (upto $10) on your next purchase.