Reliable, Specific Syphilis Tests Posted: 08-17-06 10:41am
Hi! I have the following question.
Is a negative VDRL blood test for syphilis
after 2 years and 1 month of possible
infection absolutely reliable?
I mean, is there any chance that the
result is false negative?
Should I do anything else, or forget it
and relax?
I know that VDRL test screens for
antibodies made by organism in order to
confront Treponema Pallidum and that 2
years are too much time for the body to
develop antibodies.
However, my real concern is what I read at
the following site:
[url]http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/00
3515.htm?terms=false+positive+for+syphilis
[/url]
''in the final stages (tertiary syphilis)
this test is usually positive in only 60%
of cases''.
I wonder if I am in the final stage
without knowing it and if I am among these
40% of cases where the result is false
negative, how could I find out safely if I
have syphilis or not?
If you were in the final stage of syphilis
you wouldn’t be able to write this
letter. In the final stadium (IV) of
syphilis (metalues), patients become
paralyzed and are in very bad condition.
You can request syphilis tests that are
more specific than VDRL such as: TPHA, FTA
or TPI –tests.
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