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Diagnosis of Syphilis



It can be tricky to diagnose syphilis as this infection can mimic other infections. Therefore it is important to have proper medical care so that the diagnosis can happen correctly.

The diagnosis of syphilis is done with blood tests or through visual examination under a microscope.

• Blood tests confirm whether the body is fighting this particular infection with the presence of some antibodies. As the syphilis bacteria can stay in the body for many years at a time, this test can also determine the age of the infection and whether it is recently contracted.
• The doctor can also scrape out sores and analyze the sample under a microscope. This can confirm the presence of the bacteria causing syphilis.
• If you show symptoms of an advanced stage of syphilis, the doctor might also order a test of the spinal fluid. This fluid, collected from the spine with a lumbar puncture, can also identify how deep the infection has spread.