Yaws

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Frambesia tropica

• Initial, single skin lesion that may grow slowly and have a raspberry-like appearance. It may also form an ulcer and is usually painless.
• Satellite lesions which may become large nodules/growths throughout the body and may have superficial erosions in secondary yaws.
• Fever may be present in secondary yaws.
• Bone pain/bone destruction; saber shins.
• Finger inflammation (dactylitis).

The diagnosis can be confirmed by examining a sample from a skin lesion under a special type of microscope (darkfield examination). There is no specific blood test for yaws, but because it is closely related to the bacterium that causes syphilis, the blood tests for syphilis may be positive in yaws as well.

Review Date: 11/27/2006
Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.