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A 35-year-old male asked:

Can you have secondary syphilis rash on only one hand? and if it was secondary syphilis will you have a false neg with vdrl& tpha tests done together?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Not syphilis: Syphilis skin rash is almost never limited to one body part. And those negative tests prove for sure you do not have syphilis. Something else is causing the rash.
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Related questions

A 33-year-old male asked:
Can ANYTHING cause multiple false negative syphilis treponemal EIA antibody tests? For wrongly treated syph? Had symptoms that line up like palm rash and scrotum patches. Especially when testing ten years after possible exposure?
Dr. Hiep Le
Dr. Hiep Leanswered
Nephrology and Dialysis 44 years experience
If rashes are present and syphilis is suspected as the cause, nontreponemal test (RPR or VDRL) should be positive. If nontreponemal test is negative, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
View all answers
A 33-year-old male asked:
Sympt of syphilis in the past (10yrs(palm rash, flat bumps on scrotum, lymphnodes and tonsillitis) but wasnt tested and given ceph 4 sore throat. Testing now for syph with trep tests but all have been negative. Can anything cause false negatives?
Dr. Jay Park
Dr. Jay Parkanswered
Pediatrics 52 years experience
The symptoms you described are not specific enough to suspect syphilis. Combined with the negative treponemal test, you should be assured.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old male asked:
Is that possible that syphilis rash on hand only last for 2 day and then go? i read that secondary syphilis rash can stay for a week, i had rapid syphilis and negative?
Dr. Jay Park
Dr. Jay Parkanswered
Pediatrics 52 years experience
Some basics: The rash of secondary syphilis spread widely often involving palms and soles and presents as pink to red slightly scaly spot or bump. The... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
View all answers
A 23-year-old male asked:
Had unprotected receptive anal sex in 2020. 6 months later (177 days) all std negative. Syphilis test - rapid plasma reagin. No sex since then. no sore /lesion. Rash on hands (like that in syphilis) in 2023. Was test conclusive? Need to test again ?
Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
The test is conclusive, but there's always the minor risk of a glitch in the test. If you remain concerned, have another RPR. You can expect another n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Provided original answer
TPHA testing is designed to confirm POSITIVE initial test results (like RPR). It is never positive if RPR or other initial testing is negative. It would be a waste of money to have a TPHA.
Mar 28, 2022
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Last updated Apr 3, 2018
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