Syphilis IgM negative represents what?

Written by Luo Hong
Dermatology Department
Updated on February 26, 2025
00:00
00:00

Syphilis IgM negative, which is primarily screened using the ELISA method. Generally, a negative IgM can temporarily rule out syphilis. If still uncertain, further confirmatory syphilis tests can be conducted, such as TPPA (Treponema Pallidum Particle Agglutination) or TPHA (Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutination). Usually, syphilis can be temporarily dismissed if IgM is negative. However, if symptoms of a primary chancre are present, such as genital ulcers, an early Syphilis IgM might be negative. In such cases where symptoms are clear but IgM is negative, it is typically advised to retest after one month. If the result turns positive, a confirmatory test should be performed to diagnose and treat syphilis.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhai Yu Juan
Dermatology Department
46sec home-news-image

How is syphilis treated?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the infection of Treponema pallidum. The main transmission routes include sexual contact, mother-to-child transmission, close personal contact, and blood transmission. Once diagnosed with syphilis, formal treatment should be administered under the guidance of local doctors, with penicillin generally being the first choice for treatment. Both the patient and their sexual partners need to undergo thorough examination and treatment. Additionally, regular follow-up examinations are necessary after treatment, typically under the guidance of local doctors, with continuous follow-up for three years to ensure effective treatment of syphilis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
30sec home-news-image

Can tertiary syphilis be contagious?

Third-stage syphilis is contagious. Clinically progressing to third-stage syphilis indicates a more serious condition, and indeed, third-stage syphilis is considered late-stage. Although it is less contagious compared to first and second-stage syphilis because the titer decreases as it progresses to this stage, it remains infectious. This means it is still possible to transmit to others. Therefore, patients with third-stage syphilis should receive timely treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Fu Ye Song
Hematology
28sec home-news-image

Can a routine blood test detect syphilis?

Syphilis is a contagious disease, and we cannot detect syphilis through routine blood tests, as these tests only measure elements such as the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the blood. Since syphilis is caused by an infectious agent, it cannot be detected through routine blood tests. It can only be detected by checking for antibodies using methods like ELISA immunofluorescence. Therefore, routine blood tests cannot detect syphilis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Qu Jing
Dermatology
1min 49sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of syphilis?

Syphilis is divided into acquired syphilis and congenital syphilis, which is transmitted via the fetus. Acquired syphilis, based on the duration of the disease and using two years as a boundary, is further divided into early-stage syphilis and late-stage syphilis. Early-stage syphilis, particularly primary syphilis, mainly presents symptoms such as a chancre and scleradenitis, generally without systemic symptoms. Secondary syphilis occurs when primary syphilis is untreated or not completely treated, allowing the virus to enter the bloodstream from the lymphatic system and spread throughout the body. This causes damages to the skin, mucous membranes, and systemically, known as secondary syphilis. It can manifest as various forms of syphilitic rash, some resembling papular rashes, others similar to dermatitis, eczema, flat lichen, urticaria, psoriasis, pustular disease, and others. Some secondary syphilitic rashes are similar to flat genital warts, and sometimes syphilis can lead to alopecia. Syphilis can also affect mucous membranes, appearing in the mouth, tongue, pharynx, larynx, and genital mucous membranes, characterized by one or more areas of distinct erythema, vesicles, erosion, covered with a grayish-white membrane, generally painless. Some syphilis cases might affect bones, causing damage to bones and joints. Latent syphilis presents no obvious symptoms, and late-stage syphilis might involve the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
45sec home-news-image

How long does it take to cure third-stage syphilis?

The healing time for third-stage syphilis varies from person to person. Third-stage syphilis is considered a late stage of the disease, and the situation is very serious for patients who have developed to this stage. Therefore, the duration of illness for most patients is usually very long; it could be several months or even years, which also depends on the patient's level of aggressive treatment and their own immune resistance. Additionally, it is necessary to consider complications of third-stage syphilis. If there are severe complications involving cardiovascular and nervous systems, or joint damage, recovery can be very prolonged and difficult.