Serological Syphilis Testing in Brazilian Older Adults

Abstract

Objectives Syphilis is a silent disease detectable via serological tests though interpreting results can be complex particularly in older adults This study examined laboratory findings in older adults who tested positive for syphilis through serological tests Methods A retrospective study was conducted in Curitiba Brazil involving individuals over 60 years old of both sexes who tested positive for CMIA syphilis tests but negative for VDRL FTA-ABS was performed as a confirmatory test and demographic clinical data were collected from medical records Results A total of 311 patients were studied 53 1 male with a median age of 69 years No significant differences were found between sexes or ages Previous syphilis diagnoses were found in 7 4 of patients and 10 2 had undergone prior treatment for syphilis Of the patients 23 4 came from internal medicine 18 3 from neurology and 17 3 from infectious disease clinics False-positive CMIA results were observed in 14 1 of cases