diagnosis

Last reviewed 01/2018

There are four main clinical presentations of cardiovascular syphilis:

• asymptomatic aortitis
• aneurysm formation
• aortic valve regurgitation
• coronary artery ostia stenosis

Serological tests are often diagnostic in cases of cardiovascular syphilis:

• VDRL may be negative
• the specific fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS) remains positive, even after treatment