Serologic testing is the preferred method of diagnosis. Two types of serologic tests are used: treponemal and nontreponemal assays. Traditional serologic ...SkiptomaincontentARUPLaboratoriesTestDirectoryARUPConnect™SignInAlgorithmsDiseaseTopicsTestFact SheetsFAQsAboutAlgorithmsDiseaseTopicsTestFactsSheetsFAQsAboutAboutARUPConsult®EditorialBoardEditorialPolicySubscribeforUpdatesContactUsAboutARUPConsult® EditorialBoard SubscribeforUpdates EditorialPolicy ContactUsARUP’sResponsetoCoronavirusDisease2019(COVID-19).Learnmore.Citethispage CitethispageTreponemapallidum-Syphilis.ARUPConsult®.RetrievedSeptember06,2021,https://arupconsult.com/content/treponema-pallidumCloseTreponemapallidum-SyphilisFeedback FeedbackTopicNameMessageIfARUPConsultdoesnotansweryourtestselectionandinterpretationquestions,orifyouwouldliketosuggestwaystoimprovecontentorusability,pleasesendamessagetotheConsulteditorialstaff.Pleasedonotincludeanypatient-specificorpersonalhealthinformation(PHI)inyourmessage.EmailAddressAnemailaddressisnotrequired,butprovidingoneallowstheARUPConsulteditorialstaff toresponddirectly.ARUPwillonlyuseyouremailaddresstorespondtoyourfeedback.SeetheARUPprivacypolicyformoreinformationregardingemailuse.LeavethisfieldblankTheTreponemapallidumsubspeciespallidumistheetiologicagentofsyphilis.Syphilisisusuallytransmittedsexually,butcanalsobepassedverticallyfrommothertochildeitherinutero(congenitalsyphilis)orperinatallyduringbirth.   Regardlessofthemodeoftransmission,untreatedcasesofsyphiliscanresultinmultisysteminvolvementwithsignificantmorbidity.Thediseaseissystemicandischaracterizedbyperiodsoflatency.Serologictestingisthepreferredmethodofdiagnosis.Twotypesofserologictestsareused:treponemalandnontreponemalassays.Traditionalserologicscreeningforsyphilisbeginswithanontreponemaltestfollowedbyatreponemaltesttoconfirmreactiveresults.Reversescreeningalgorithmsbeginwithatreponemaltestfollowedbyanontreponemaltesttoconfirmreactiveresults.QuickAnswersforCliniciansWhichlaboratorytestsareusedtod