Is VDRL better than RPR?
Specificity was lower for all three CSF nontreponemal tests for diagnosis of symptomatic neurosyphilis. Nonetheless, the specificity of the CSF-RPR for diagnosis of symptomatic disease was significantly better than the CSF-VDRL.
What is the difference between RPR and syphilis?
RPR is not specific to just syphilis. If your RPR test is positive, you will need more tests to confirm that you have syphilis. One of the most common tests used to confirm a syphilis diagnosis is the T. pallidum enzyme immunoassay.
Is VDRL an RPR?
VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) RPR (Rapid Plasma Reagin)
What is the advantage of VDRL over RPR?
The advantage of the VDRL is that it can be quantitated, and its titer reflects disease activity. After treatment, the titer usually falls, and the test becomes nonreactive over 6 to 12 months. Occasionally, a positive serum reaction of low titer (1:1, 1:2, or slightly greater) persists after successful treatment.
What if Vdrl test is positive?
A positive test result means you may have syphilis. If the test is positive, the next step is to confirm the results with an FTA-ABS test, which is a more specific syphilis test. The VDRL test’s ability to detect syphilis depends on the stage of the disease.
What test remains positive for syphilis?
Syphilis Tests
| Stages of disease: | Exposure to bacteria |
|---|---|
| Nontreponemal Antibody Tests: VDRL and RPR. | Used to screen or confirm a positive treponemal antibody test; used to guide treatment. |
| Treponemal Antibody Tests: FTA-ABS, TP-PA, immunoassays (IA). | Used to screen or confirm a positive nontreponemal antibody test. |
How does a RPR and VDRL test differ?
, Treating patients in private practice for 20 years. Rapid plasma reagent (RPR) refers to a screening blood test for syphilis. If it is positive, a confirmation test is required with a more specific blood test called Venereal Disease Research Lab (VDRL) test, also known as Free Treponemal Antibody (FT-Ab) test.
Is the VDRL test a flocculation test?
It is a qualitative test for screening of syphilis, and currently all nontreponemal tests are flocculation tests and both VDRL and RPR tests are modifications of original Wasserman reaction. Unfortunately in this test, the antibody detects antigens, which are nonspecific, thereby yielding much false-positive reaction.
What are the shortcomings of the CSF VDRL test?
Prozone phenomenon and biological false positive (BFP) reaction are two shortcomings of this test. Quantitative estimation of VDRL is essential in treatment evaluation. CSF VDRL test is very specific for neurosyphilis though its sensitivity is low.
Can a negative VDRL test exclude primary syphilis?
HIV and VDRL Test. Because the sensitivity of nontreponemal tests is lower that that of treponemal tests in the primary stage, a negative nontreponemal test in an HIV-infected individual with a genital lesion cannot exclude primary syphilis. It may be useful to consider both a nontreponemal and a…