A 21-year-old college student presents to the university campus clinic. The nurse collects the patient's medical history and performs an initial assessment. The patient states, "I'm having a herpes flair, and I need a prescription for acyclovir." The nurse examines the lesion on the shaft of his penis. The ulcer is 2 cm in size and seems painless and hard upon palpation.
-How would the diagnosis of syphilis be confirmed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All three tests can be used in the diagnosis of syphilis. Dark-field microscopy can be used to visualize the presence of treponema pallidum (the bacteria causing syphilis) in the lesion. Blood antibody tests, such as the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) or the treponemal pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) test, can detect the presence of antibodies against the bacteria in the blood. PCR can be used to detect the genetic material of the bacteria in blood or tissue samples. A combination of these tests is often used to confirm a diagnosis of syphilis.

A 21-Year-Old College Student Presents to the University Campus Clinic