SYPHILIS SEROLOGIC DIAGNOSIS – NEW GUIDELINES

  • Maria João Cruz Interna do Internato Complementar de Dermatologia e Venereologia / Resident, Dermatology and Venereology Assistente convidada da cadeira de Dermatologia e Venereologia / Invited Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Venereology
  • Carmen Lisboa Assistente Hospitalar Graduada de Dermatologia e Venereologia / Graduated Consultant, Dermatology and Venereology Assistente convidada da cadeira de Microbiologia, Doutorada / Invited Assistant Professor of Microbiology Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
  • Filomena Azevedo Directora do Serviço de Dermatologia e Venereologia / Director of the Dermatology Department Serviço de Dermatologia e Venereologia do Hospital de São João, EPE Porto, Portugal

Abstract

Syphilis is still today a major public health problem that requires prompt and appropriate diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis is mainly based on serological tests – non-treponemal and treponemal. In recent years there has been a major technological advance in this area with the development of several new methods that use specific treponemal antigens, including enzyme immunoassays (EIA), chemiluminescence (CA) and immunochromatografic. Al- though many of these tests have not yet obtained approval from relevant organizations, their performance (high sensi- tivity and specificity) and automation have led many laboratories to adopt an inverse algorithm to the classic algorithm to the screening for syphilis, (non-treponemal first). However, currently available data are insufficient to decide that one has clear advantages over the other.

With this paper the authors intend to summarize the changes that the diagnosis of syphilis suffered in the past few ye- ars, particularly with the regard to serological screening, emphasizing the advantages and disadvantages of the new guidelines.

KEYWORDS – Syphilis; Serologic Tests; Bacteriological Techniques; Syphilis Serodiagnosis; Guidelines.

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Published
2011-12-20
How to Cite
Cruz, M. J., Lisboa, C., & Azevedo, F. (2011). SYPHILIS SEROLOGIC DIAGNOSIS – NEW GUIDELINES. Journal of the Portuguese Society of Dermatology and Venereology, 69(4), 523. https://doi.org/10.29021/spdv.69.4.53
Section
Continuous Medical Education