title: Ocular syphilis 1986. Prevalence of FTA-ABS reactivity and cerebrospinal fluid findings.
abstract: Serum FTA-ABS tests were obtained for 247 consecutive patients undergoing ambulatory oculoplastic surgery over a 5-month period. The incidence of FTA-ABS reactivity was 52.8%. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 50 patients with ocular signs of late syphilis and reactive serum FTA-ABS tests was examined. Only 12 (24%) of these patients had reactive serum VDRLs. Thirty patients (60%) had a lymphocytic pleocytosis, elevated protein, or both, in their CSF. No patients had reactive CSF VDRLs. It was concluded that FTA-ABS reactivity is common, serum VDRL tests are inadequate for diagnosing ocular syphilis, and a significant percentage of patients with ocular syphilis have abnormal CSF. More aggressive diagnosis and treatment of ocular syphilis is suggested.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D013587:Syphilis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins