Video:Pinta (disease)
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Description
Pinta (also known as pure-puru) is a human skin disease caused by infection with the spirochete Treponema carateum, which is morphologically and serologically indistinguishable from the bacterium that causes syphilis.[1][2]Diagnosis is via clinical appearance and PCR; it can be treated with penicillin[3].The disease is endemic to Mexico, Central America, and South America.[1]
Presentation
As to presentation we find that lesions are usually present in the exposed surface of arms and legs. Local lymph nodes might be enlarged. Three to nine months later, further thickened and flat lesions (pintids) appear all over the body. These generally resolve, but a proportion of people with pinta will go on to develop late-stage disease, characterised by widespread pigmentary change with a mixture of hyperpigmentation and depigmentation that can be disfiguring.[4]
Associated condition
There is stigma, due to the visible nature of the lesions, sufferers face social ostracism and exclusion within their communities, regardless of the fact that the late-stage disease is not contagious. This stigma is similar to that experienced by people with Leprosy, logic dictates stigma can cause psychological issues. [5][6]
Cause
Pinta is caused by bacterium Treponema carateum. It is related to the more well-known T. pallidum, which can cause endemic syphilis.[3]
Transmission
Pinta, the least severe of treponemal infections being limited to the skin, is thought to be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact (similar to bejel and yaws), and after an incubation period of two to three weeks, produces a raised papule, which enlarges and becomes hyperkeratotic.[4]
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is usually clinical, but as with yaws and bejel, serological tests for syphilis, such as rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and TPHA, will be positive, and the spirochetes can be seen on dark field microscopy from samples taken from the early papules.[3][5][2]
Differential diagnosis
As to the differential diagnosis of those affected with Pinta we find the following:[3] Yaws, Syphilis, Vitiligo and Bejel.
Treatment
The disease can be treated with penicillin, tetracycline (not to be used in pregnant women), azithromycin or chloramphenicol, and can be prevented through contact tracing by public health officials. A single intramuscular injection of long-acting penicillin is effective against endemic treponematoses including pinta, yaws, and bejel.[7][3]
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Epidemiology
As to epidemiology we find that it has been endemic to rural regions of Latin America, particularly among children and young adults in impoverished communities.Once widespread in countries like Mexico, Colombia and Peru pinta has declined due to improved hygiene and antibiotic access. Part of the WHO eradication campaign for endemic treponematoses pinta remains underreported due to limited surveillance.[8][3]
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Etymology
In terms of etymology we find that the disease is known by several regional names that often describe its appearance, including: Mal del Pinto (Mexico), Carate (Colombia) and Pinta derived from Spanish for spotted referring to the skin lesions.[9]
History
As to history no single individual is credited with discovering pinta, the disease study were advanced by researchers in tropical medicine, particularly those working in endemic regions of Mexico, Central America and South America.[10]
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Greenstein, Emily (2025). "Tropical diseases wounds". In Howell, Melania; RN, Tuba Şengül; Kirkland-Kyhn, Holly (eds.). Advances in Wound Care and Wound Management, An Issue of Nursing Clinics: Advances in Wound Care and Wound Management, An Issue of Nursing Clinics. Philadelphia: Elsevier. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-443-29599-7.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Pinta". Medscape. Medscape. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2012. Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Pinta - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment | NORD. NORD. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Torok, E (2009). Oxford Handbook of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (first ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 388. ISBN 978-0-19-856925-1.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Pinta | Research Starters | EBSCO Research". EBSCO. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ↑ Akbari, Hossein; Mohammadi, Mahla; Hosseini, Abolfazl (October 2023). "Disease-Related Stigma, Stigmatizers, Causes, and Consequences: A Systematic Review". Iranian Journal of Public Health. 52 (10): 2042–2054. doi:10.18502/ijph.v52i10.13842. ISSN 2251-6093. Archived from the original on 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ↑ Fine, Steven. "Treponematosis (Endemic Syphilis) Medication". Medscape. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2014. Archived 12 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Pinta, status of endemicity". www.who.int. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ↑ "Pinta, the Rare Skin Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and more". GIDEON. Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ↑ Brothwell, Don (1993). "Pinta". The Cambridge World History of Human Disease. Cambridge University Press: 932–934. doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521332866.168. ISBN 978-0-521-33286-6. Archived from the original on 17 April 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.