CSF VDRL test

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

CSF test for syphilis

Overview

Risks

Results

CSF VDRL test

Alternative Names:

Venereal Disease Research Laboratory slide test - CSF

Normal Values:

Sometimes, people with syphillis can have normal CSF-VDRL test result. This is called a "false-negative" result. Therefore, a negative test does not always rule out neurosyphilis. Other markers of inflammation, such as elevated protein levels or excess white blood cells, may be used to diagnose neurosyphilis.

What abnormal results mean:

A reactive VDRL test when using a CSF sample indicates neurosyphilis.

References:

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Syphilis Infection: Recommendation Statement. Ann Fam Med 2004; 2: 362-365.

Review Date: 6/10/2005
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. editorial and Eleftherios Mylonakis, M.D., Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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