Estimating the Proportion of People Living With HIV Who May Benefit From the Reverse Algorithm for the Diagnosis of Incident Syphilis.

ABSTRACT: Among 8455 people engaged in HIV care in 4 US cities, 4925 (58%) had treponemal testing at care entry. Of the 4925 tested, 3795 (77%) had a nonreactive result and might benefit from the reverse algorithm for a future incident syphilis diagnosis. Furthermore, low-barrier treponemal testing as a first step in the reverse algorithm may increase syphilis screening and decrease time to treatment.

Single-test syphilis serology: A case of not seeing the forest for the trees.

INTRODUCTION: There have been few empirical studies for diagnostic test accuracy of syphilis using a sequence of rapid tests in populations with low prevalence of syphilis such as pregnant women. This analysis describes syphilis test positivity frequency among pregnant women at an antenatal clinic in Zambia using a reverse-sequence testing algorithm for antenatal syphilis screening. METHODS: Between August 2019 and May 2023, we recruited 1510 pregnant women from a peri-urban hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. HIV positive and HIV negative women were enrolled in a 1:1 ratio. Blood collected at recruitment from the pregnant mothers was tested on-site for syphilis using a rapid treponemal test. Samples that tested positive were further tested at a different laboratory, with rapid plasma reagin using archived plasma. RESULTS: Of the total 1,421 sera samples which were screened with a rapid treponemal test, 127 (8.9%) were positive and 1,294 (91.1%) were negative. Sufficient additional samples were available to perform RPR testing on 114 of the 127 (89.8%) RDT positive specimens. Thirty-one (27.2%) of these 114 were reactive by RPR and 83 (72.8%) were negative, resulting in a syphilis overtreatment rate of 3 fold (i.e, 84/114). Insufficient sample or test kit availability prevented any testing for the remaining 89 (5.9%) participants. CONCLUSION: Use of only treponemal tests in low prevalence populations, like pregnant women, subjects individuals with non-active syphilis to the costs and possible risks of overtreatment. The use of the dual treponemal and non-treponemal tests would minimize this risk at some additional cost.

Evaluation of rapid diagnostic test kits for detection of Treponema pallidum antibody.

Rapid syphilis testing plays a crucial role in global health strategies, addressing the urgent need for prompt and accurate diagnostics, especially in settings with limited resources. Despite their practical utility, these tests often lack thorough validation, leading to concerns about their efficacy and reliability. This study aims to evaluate two prototypes of the Onsite Syphilis Ab Combo Rapid Test (Fd and Ff) and compare their performance with the established chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) method. Employing a reverse algorithm approach, the study analyzed 450 serum samples, including those from syphilis patients, healthy individuals, and cases with potential cross-reactions. Results of the rapid test kit were then correlated with CMIA findings, RPR, and TPPA titers. The results showed that prototype Fd exhibited a sensitivity of 100.0%, specificity of 98.8%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 8.4%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 100.00% and accuracy of 98.8%. Similarly, prototype Ff exhibited sensitivity of 100.0%, but with a slightly higher specificity of 99.6%, PPV of 21.5%, NPV of 100.0% and accuracy of 99.6%. Moreover, both prototypes Fd and Ff of the Onsite Syphilis Ab Combo Rapid Test demonstrated significant efficacy diagnostic tool, offering clear and straightforward interpretation for clinicians in varied CMIA, RPR and TPPA titer scenarios. The Onsite Syphilis Ab Combo Rapid Test prototypes, Fd and Ff, demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity, comparable to CMIA methods. The effectiveness highlights their suitability for syphilis screening, particularly in non-laboratory settings or situations requiring immediate results. The validation of these prototypes supports their integration into current syphilis diagnostic algorithms, potentially contributing to improved public health outcomes.

Factors influencing the positivity of diagnostic tests for congenital syphilis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze the factors that influence the positivity of treponemal and non-treponemal tests in cases of congenital syphilis. METHODS: This cross-sectional and correlational study was carried out from the analysis of the database of Disease and Notification Information System (SINAN, in Portuguese) using the data obtained through the Epidemiological Surveillance Group 29, with 639 notifications of congenital syphilis between 2007 and 2018. The data were analyzed by a descriptive and inferential analysis from logistic regression with a significance level of 5% (p≤0.05). RESULTS: The positivity of the treponemal test was higher by 4.5 times in infants living in rural areas and 19.6 times among those whose mothers obtained the diagnosis of syphilis after birth. The treponemal test showed positivity 3.2 times higher for the variable "having been diagnosed between 2007 and 2015" and 5.5 times higher for the variable "having been diagnosed with maternal syphilis in the postpartum period." CONCLUSION: This study shows that testing during prenatal care is essential for early diagnosis and prevention of syphilis complications.

Evaluating the clinical utility of semi-quantitative luciferase immunosorbent assay using Treponema pallidum antigens in syphilis diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

To assess the clinical applicability of a semi-quantitative luciferase immunosorbent assay (LISA) for detecting antibodies against Treponema pallidum antigens TP0171 (TP15), TP0435 (TP17), and TP0574 (TP47) in diagnosing and monitoring syphilis. LISA for detection of anti-TP15, TP17, and TP47 antibodies were developed and evaluated for syphilis diagnosis using 261 serum samples (161 syphilis, 100 non-syphilis). Ninety serial serum samples from 6 syphilis rabbit models (3 treated, 3 untreated) and 110 paired serum samples from 55 syphilis patients were used to assess treatment effects by utilizing TRUST as a reference. Compared to TPPA, LISA-TP15, LISA-TP17, and LISA-TP47 showed a sensitivity of 91.9%, 96.9%, and 98.8%, specificity of 99%, 99%, and 98%, and AUC of 0.971, 0.992, and 0.995, respectively, in diagnosing syphilis. Strong correlations (rs = 0.89-0.93) with TPPA were observed. In serial serum samples from rabbit models, significant differences in the relative light unit (RLU) were observed between the treatment and control group for LISA-TP17 (days 31-51) and LISA-TP47 (day 41). In paired serum samples from syphilis patients, TRUST titres and the RLU of LISA-TP15, LISA-TP17, and LISA-TP47 decreased post-treatment (P < .001). When TRUST titres decreased by 0, 2, 4, or ≥8-folds, the RLU decreased by 17.53%, 31.34%, 48.62%, and 72.79% for LISA-TP15; 8.84%, 17.00%, 28.37%, and 50.57% for LISA-TP17; 22.25%, 29.79%, 51.75%, and 70.28% for LISA-TP47, respectively. Semi-quantitative LISA performs well for syphilis diagnosis while LISA-TP17 is more effective for monitoring syphilis treatment in rabbit models and clinical patients.

Serological evaluation of recombinant protein antigen Tp0608 for the diagnosis of syphilis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the serological diagnosis value of recombinant protein antigen Tp0608 for syphilis. METHOD: 406 patients with various stages of syphilis were enrolled. A recombinant protein antigen Tp0608 was established and ELISA was used to detect patients with various stages of syphilis. The results were compared with the conventional rapid plasma reagin test (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test (TPPA). The sensitivity of Tp0608 recombinant protein and RPR+TPPA screening was 96.6 % and 93.1 % respectively for patients with various stages of syphilis. For patients who may have cross reactivity, the specificity of Tp0608 recombinant protein screening is 98.9 %, and the AUC of the ROC curve is 0.99; The specificity of RPR+TPPA screening was 97.3 %, and the AUC of the ROC curve was 0.96. The sensitivity and specificity of Tp0608 recombinant protein in syphilis screening are higher than conventional RPR+TPPA methods, especially in congenital syphilis and primary syphilis. CONCLUSION: The Tp0608 recombinant protein is a promising diagnostic antigen for syphilis screening, but its intracellular location and protective response have not been determined, and further verification is needed.

Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with maternal and congenital syphilis - A prospective study in Peru.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore the factors and outcomes associated with gestational syphilis in Peru. METHODS: Women from the miscarriage, vaginal delivery, and C-section wards from a large maternity hospital in Lima with or without syphilis diagnosis were enrolled and their pregnancy outcomes compared. Maternal syphilis status using maternal blood and child serostatus using cord blood were determined by rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and rapid syphilis tests. The newborns' clinical records were used to determine congenital syphilis. RESULTS: A total of 340 women were enrolled, 197 were positive and 143 were negative for RPR/rapid syphilis tests. Antibody titers in sera from cord and maternal blood were comparable with RPR titers and were highly correlated (rho = 0.82, P <0.001). Young age (P = 0.009) and lower birth weight (P = 0.029) were associated with gestational syphilis. Of the women with gestational syphilis, 76% had received proper treatment. Mothers of all newborns with congenital syphilis also received appropriate treatment. Treatment of their sexual partners was not documented. CONCLUSIONS: Syphilis during pregnancy remains a major cause of the fetal loss and devastating effects of congenital syphilis in newborns.

A multi-country comparative study of two treponemal tests for the serodiagnosis of syphilis amongst men who have sex with men (MSM): Chemo-luminescent assay vs Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay.

INTRODUCTION: International guidelines recommend routine screening for syphilis (aetiological agent: Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum) amongst key populations and vulnerable populations using tests detecting treponemal and non-treponemal antibodies. Whilst treponemal tests have high sensitivities and specificities, they differ regarding subjective or objective interpretation, throughput and workload. Chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIAs) are cost- and time-effective automated methods for detecting treponemal antibodies. The Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA) has been considered the "gold standard" treponemal assay, however, this includes a highly manual procedure, low throughput and subjective interpretation. The present multi-country study evaluated the ADVIA Centaur® Syphilis CLIA (Siemens Healthcare) assay compared to the reference SERODIA-TP·PA® (Fujirebio Diagnostics) for the serodiagnosis of syphilis amongst men who have sex with men (MSM). METHOD: 1,485 MSM were enrolled in Brighton (UK), Malta, and Verona (Italy) as part of a larger WHO multi-country and multi-site ProSPeRo study. Ethical approval was obtained. Serum was tested with the ADVIA Centaur® Syphilis CLIA assay and SERODIA-TP·PA®, in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions, for a first round of validation. A second round of validation was carried out for discrepant results that were additionally tested with both Western Blot (Westernblot EUROIMMUN®) and an Immunoblot (INNO-LIA, Fujirebio Diagnostics). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV), likelihood ratios (positive/negative), and the Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR)/pre-post-test probability (Fagan's nomogram) were calculated. RESULTS: Out of 1,485 eligible samples analysed in the first phase, the SERODIA-TP·PA® identified 360 positive and 1,125 negative cases. The ADVIA Centaur® Syphilis CLIA assay (Siemens) identified 366 positives, missclassifying one TPPA-positive sample. In the second phase, the ADVIA Centaur® Syphilis CLIA resulted in 1 false negative and 4 false positive results. Considering the syphilis study prevalence of 24% (95% CI: 22-26.7), The sensitivity of the ADVIA Centaur® Syphilis CLIA assay was 99.7% (95% CI: 98.5-100), and the specificity was 99.4% (95% CI: 98.7-99.7). The ROC area values were 0.996 (95% CI: 0.992-0.999), and both the PPV and NPV values were above 98% (PPV 98.1%, 95% CI: 96.1-99.2; NPV 99.9%, 95% CI: 99.5-100). CONCLUSIONS: The ADVIA Centaur® Syphilis CLIA assay showed similar performance compared to the SERODIA-TP·PA®. Considering the study is based on QUADAS principles and with a homogeneous population, results are also likely to be generalisable to MSM population but potentially not applicable to lower prevalence populations routinely screened for syphilis. The automated CLIA treponemal assay confirmed to be accurate and appropriate for routine initial syphilis screening, i.e. when the reverse testing algorithm is applied.

Sudden hearing loss secondary to syphilis.

BACKGROUND: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum, whose incidence has increased significantly in recent years. Some patients may develop sudden hearing loss (SHL) against the background of otosyphilis. OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to determine whether routine lues serology is useful in patients presenting with sudden hearing loss. METHODS: For this purpose, all cases of SHL treated in our hospital during a period of 6 years were propectively collected. The frequency of positivity for syphilis in these patients, the treatment received, and their evolution were determined. RESULTS: Of the total number of patients evaluated during that period, 71 underwent serological screening for syphilis, of whom 2 (2.8 %) presented positive screening antibodies. In one of them, the RPR was normal and had been treated with lues a few years before. After treatment there was no improvement. The other patient, diagnosed with otosyphilis with unconfirmed suspected neurological disease, showed normalization of hearing after specific treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Since it is a potentially curable disease, despite the low overall frequency of syphilis in patients with SHL it is advisable to perform serological screening for syphilis in high risk patients (e.g., incarceration, multiple recent sexual partners, men who have sex with men) or atypical clinical presentation (e.g., concurrent neuropathies).

Neurosyphilis is characterized by a compartmentalized and robust neuroimmune response but not by neuronal injury.

BACKGROUND: Neurosyphilis is increasing in prevalence but its pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. This study assessed for CNS-specific immune responses during neurosyphilis compared to syphilis without neurosyphilis and compared these immune profiles to those observed in other neuroinflammatory diseases. METHODS: Participants with syphilis were categorized as having neurosyphilis if their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test was reactive and as having syphilis without neurosyphilis if they had a non-reactive CSF-VDRL test and a white blood cell count <5/µL. Neurosyphilis and syphilis without neurosyphilis participants were matched by rapid plasma reagin titer and HIV status. CSF and plasma were assayed for markers of neuronal injury and glial and immune cell activation. Bulk RNA sequencing was performed on CSF cells, with results stratified by the presence of neurological symptoms. FINDINGS: CSF neopterin and five CSF chemokines had levels significantly higher in individuals with neurosyphilis compared to those with syphilis without neurosyphilis, but no markers of neuronal injury or astrocyte activation were significantly elevated. The CSF transcriptome in neurosyphilis was characterized by genes involved in microglial activation and lipid metabolism and did not differ in asymptomatic versus symptomatic neurosyphilis cases. CONCLUSIONS: The CNS immune response observed in neurosyphilis was comparable to other neuroinflammatory diseases and was present in individuals with neurosyphilis regardless of neurological symptoms, yet there was minimal evidence for neuronal or astrocyte injury. These findings support the need for larger studies of the CSF inflammatory response in asymptomatic neurosyphilis. FUNDING: This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health, grants K23MH118999 (S.F.F.) and R01NS082120 (C.M.M.).

Presentaciones de la sífilis anorrectal: la gran simuladora / Anorectal syphilis presentations: the great pretender

Antecedentes: La sífilis es una infección sexualmente transmisible sistémica crónica que afecta a docenas de millones de personas al año. A nivel anorrectal, su manifestación polimórfica obliga al diagnóstico diferencial con enfermedades anorrectales benignas y malignas. Objetivo: Describir las diferentes presentaciones de la sífilis anorrectal a propósito de 5 casos clínicos. Método: Estudio observacional, retrospectivo, descriptivo. Resultados: La mayoría de los pacientes fueron VIH positivos en edad sexual activa. Las manifestaciones registradas, al igual que las reportadas en la bibliografía fueron las fisuras, úlceras perianales y pseudotumores. Conclusiones: La sífilis es considerada "la gran simuladora". En la localización anorrectal se requiere una alta sospecha diagnóstica para diferenciarla de presentaciones similares de otras enfermedades anales benignas, la enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal y el cáncer anorrectal, con el fin de evitar el consiguiente riesgo de sobretratamiento. (AU)

Background: Syphilis is a chronic systemic sexually transmitted infection that affects tens of millions of people annually. At the anorectal level, its polymorphic manifestation requires differential diagnosis with benign and malignant anorectal diseases. Objective: To review the presentation of anorectal syphilis from 5 clinical cases. Methods: Observational, retrospective, descriptive study. Results: Most of the patients were HIV positive in sexually active age. The manifestations recorded and reported in the literature were fissures, perianal ulcers, and pseudotumors. Conclusions: Syphilis is considered "the great pretender". In anorectal syphilis, a high diagnostic suspicion is needed to differentiate it from similar presentations due to other anal conditions, inflammatory bowel disease, and anorectal cancer, to avoid the consequent risk of overtreatment. (AU)

External quality assessment to support the WHO ProSPeRo study for the evaluation of two dual HIV/syphilis point-of-care tests in seven countries.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis and HIV remain to be a significant public health issue worldwide. Dual rapid point-of-care tests (POCTs) have shown promise for detecting antibodies to HIV and syphilis but have not been fully evaluated in the field. Our study supported the WHO ProSPeRo study on Sexually Transmitted Infection Point-of-Care Testing (STI POCT) by providing external quality assessment (EQA) for HIV and syphilis testing in reference laboratories and their associated clinical sites in seven countries. METHODS: HIV/syphilis serum liquid and dried tube specimen (DTS) panels were prepared by CDC. Liquid panels were distributed to the reference laboratories for three rounds of testing using commercially and locally available laboratory-based serological tests. DTS panels were sent to the clinical testing sites for 8 rounds of POC testing using the Abbott SD BIOLINE HIV/Syphilis Duo test (hereafter referred to as SD BIOLINE) and the Chembio Dual Path Platform (DPP) HIV-Syphilis assay. EQA panels were tested at CDC using the Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test and the Treponema pallidum Particle Agglutination assay (TP-PA) for syphilis antibodies. Genetic Systems HIV-1/HIV-2 Plus O EIA, Geenius HIV Supplemental Assay and the Oraquick Advance HIV test were used to detect HIV antibodies in the EQA panels. Results from the reference laboratories and POCT sites were compared to those obtained at the CDC and a percentage agreement was calculated. RESULTS: Qualitative RPR and TP-PA performed at the reference laboratories demonstrated 95.4-100% agreement with CDC results while quantitative RPR and TP-PA tests demonstrated 87.7% and 89.2% agreement, respectively. A 93.8% concordance rate was observed for qualitative HIV testing in laboratories. EQA testing at clinical sites using dual tests showed 98.7% and 99.1% agreement for detection of HIV antibodies and eight out of 10 sites had > 95.8% agreement for syphilis testing. However, two clinical sites showed only 65.0-66.7% agreement for SD BIOLINE and 84.0-86.7% for DPP, respectively, for syphilis testing. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, laboratories demonstrated high EQA performance in this study. Both HIV/syphilis POCTs gave expected results in the clinic-based evaluations using DTS. However, testing errors were identified in a few testing sites suggesting the necessity for continuous training and monitoring the quality of POC testing.

Independent clinic-based evaluation of dual POCTs for screening for HIV and syphilis in men who have sex with men in Italy, Malta, Peru, and the United Kingdom.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, the incidence of HIV and syphilis can be reduced by the use of validated point of care tests (POCTs). As part of the WHO PRoSPeRo Network, we aimed to evaluate the performance, acceptability, and operational characteristics of two dual HIV/syphilis POCTs (Bioline HIV/Syphilis Duo (Abbott) and DPP® HIV-Syphilis assay (Chembio) for the screening of HIV and syphilis amongst men who have sex with men (MSM). METHOD AND ANALYSES: A cross sectional study of 2,577 MSM in Italy, Malta, Peru, and the United Kingdom (UK) presenting to seven clinic sites, were enrolled. Finger prick blood was collected to perform POCTs and results compared with standard laboratory investigations on venepuncture blood. Acceptability and operational characteristics were assessed using questionnaires. Diagnostic meta-analysis was used to combine data from the evaluation sites. RESULTS: Based on laboratory tests, 23.46% (n = 598/2549) of participants were confirmed HIV positive, and 35.88% of participants (n = 901/2511) were positive on treponemal reference testing. Of all participants showing evidence of antibodies to Treponema pallidum, 50.56% (n = 455/900) were Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test reactive. Of HIV positive individuals, 60.62% (n = 354/584) had evidence of antibodies to T. pallidum, and of these 60.45% (n = 214/354) exhibited reactive RPR tests indicating probable (co)infection. For Bioline POCT, pooled sensitivities and specificities for HIV were 98.95% and 99.89% respectively, and for syphilis were 73.79% and 99.57%. For Chembio pooled sensitivities and specificities for HIV were 98.66% and 99.55%, and for syphilis were 78.60% and 99.48%. Both tests can detect greater than 90% of probable active syphilis cases, as defined by reactive RPR and treponemal test results. These dual POCTs were preferred by 74.77% (n = 1,926) of participants, due to their convenience, and the operational characteristics made them acceptable to health care providers (HCPs). CONCLUSIONS: Both the Bioline and the Chembio dual POCT for syphilis and HIV had acceptable performance, acceptability and operational characteristics amongst MSM in the PRoSPeRo network. These dual POCTs could serve as a strategic, more cost effective, patient and healthcare provider (HCP) friendly alternative to conventional testing; in clinical and other field settings, especially those in resource-limited settings.

Syphilis Serologies: A Practical Approach for the Primary Care Clinician.

Syphilis serology interpretation can be challenging even for experienced providers. This article reviews the staging of syphilis and the principles of syphilis serology testing, the algorithms used in diagnosis, and guidance for their use in monitoring the response to treatment. The authors illustrate these principles through a series of clinical scenarios and describe the rationale behind the management approaches.

Evaluation of Automated Processing of Electronically Reported Serological Tests for Syphilis Using Current and Historical Syphilis Results Compared With Traditional Reactor Grid Processing in Florida.

BACKGROUND: Syphilis in Florida increased 49% from 2016 to 2020. Moreover, many serological tests for syphilis (STS) do not indicate current infection. Traditionally, syphilis surveillance systems used reactor grids, a method for prioritizing STS for investigation based on age, nontreponemal titer, and/or sex. In 2022, Florida's sexually transmitted disease surveillance system implemented an automated method for processing electronically reported STS (eSTS), expanding upon the reactor grid, using an individual's current STS (treponemal and nontreponemal), treatment history, and historical STS results aiming for more efficiently processing eSTS. We compared the new method of processing eSTS results against the reactor grid and determined potential value in time/cost savings of this change. METHODS: All eSTSs (n = 4144) from January 2, 2023 to January 8, 2023, were compared by how the logic-based method processed test results versus how the reactor grid processed test results. Each method was compared using measurements of accuracy (e.g., sensitivity/specificity). Time and cost savings in eSTS processing were estimated. RESULTS: Using the surveillance case definition as reference, the accuracy of the logic-based method for processing eSTS was nearly double (82.3% vs. 43.6%), had greater specificity (79.0% vs. 33.0%), and increased positive predictive value (47.5% vs. 22.0%) when compared with the reactor grid method. Sensitivity (99.5% vs. 98.6%) and negative predictive value (99.9% vs. 99.2%) remained similar. The logic-based method is estimated to save 7783 hours annually (~$185,000). CONCLUSIONS: Processing eSTS based on current and historical STS results is significantly more accurate than using a reactor grid. Moreover, these improvements save time and resources that can be better allocated to other program prevention activities.

CDC Laboratory Recommendations for Syphilis Testing, United States, 2024.

This report provides new CDC recommendations for tests that can support a diagnosis of syphilis, including serologic testing and methods for the identification of the causative agent Treponema pallidum. These comprehensive recommendations are the first published by CDC on laboratory testing for syphilis, which has traditionally been based on serologic algorithms to detect a humoral immune response to T. pallidum. These tests can be divided into nontreponemal and treponemal tests depending on whether they detect antibodies that are broadly reactive to lipoidal antigens shared by both host and T. pallidum or antibodies specific to T. pallidum, respectively. Both types of tests must be used in conjunction to help distinguish between an untreated infection or a past infection that has been successfully treated. Newer serologic tests allow for laboratory automation but must be used in an algorithm, which also can involve older manual serologic tests. Direct detection of T. pallidum continues to evolve from microscopic examination of material from lesions for visualization of T. pallidum to molecular detection of the organism. Limited point-of-care tests for syphilis are available in the United States; increased availability of point-of-care tests that are sensitive and specific could facilitate expansion of screening programs and reduce the time from test result to treatment. These recommendations are intended for use by clinical laboratory directors, laboratory staff, clinicians, and disease control personnel who must choose among the multiple available testing methods, establish standard operating procedures for collecting and processing specimens, interpret test results for laboratory reporting, and counsel and treat patients. Future revisions to these recommendations will be based on new research or technologic advancements for syphilis clinical laboratory science.

Unilateral tonsillitis due to primary syphilis with gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes confirmed by Gram stain of pus.

A man in his 40s presented with pharyngeal pain and right cervical lymphadenopathy that persisted for 1 month. His right tonsil was swollen and covered with exudate; however, a rapid streptococcal antigen test was negative. Rapid plasma reagin and Treponema pallidum antibody were positive. Gram staining of the pus confirmed the presence of gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes. The patient had unprotected oral intercourse. He did not have any skin lesions. He was diagnosed with primary syphilis and treated with benzathine penicillin G. In adults, the differential diagnosis of tonsillitis should include sexually transmitted diseases. A rapid streptococcal antigen test is not sufficient for such a case; a syphilis test is necessary, and Gram staining, which is rapid and does not need any special equipment, can support the diagnosis.