Usefulness of the new automated treponemal tests in the diagnosis of early syphilis. A report of 15 cases

Background: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by Treponema pallidum, a bacterium that is difficult to culture and requires serological techniques for its diagnosis. Early diagnosis and correct interpretation of serological techniques is important to avoid potentially serious complications. The traditional diagnostic algorithm for syphilis begins with a nontreponemal test (NTT), such as rapid plasma reagin test (RPR), followed by a confirmatory specific treponemal-test (TT) only when the initial NTT turns out positive.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research