[Syphilis as cause of foetal death].

Syphilis is a well-known cause of foetal death. We describe a Danish case of foetal death in week 31 + 0 in an Iraqi-born woman. The foetus had ascites. Blood samples were positive for IgG and IgM, for syphilis, and immunohistochemical staining of the placenta showed Treponema pallidum in relation to the vessels of the umbilical cord. Congenital syphilis should be kept in mind even though it is rare in Denmark.