Barking up the wrong tree? Use of polymerase chain reaction to diagnose syphilitic aortitis.
The presentation of syphilitic aortitis is often atypical and available serological tests are non-specific. The diagnostic gold standard remains direct identification of microorganisms in tissue. We present a case of syphilitic aortitis that presented as a mediastinal mass and report the use of polymerase chain reaction for Treponema pallidum to diagnose syphilitic aortic disease.
D000368:Aged; D001025:Aortitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013589:Syphilis, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis*