The patient's angiotensin-converting enzyme level was slightly elevated, and the rapid plasma reagin test was nonreactive. |
Even without a confirmatory rapid plasma reagin test or darkfield examination of the gummatous discharge, the diagnosis of secondary syphilis was obvious. |
Tests for human immunodeficiency virus and borreliosis were negative, and her rapid plasma reagin test was nonreactive. |
However, both RPR and VDRL are useful only after the body has a sufficient amount of time to generate a detectable amount of reagin, which usually occurs several weeks following the appearance of a chancre in primary disease. |
In RPR and VDRL the detection of syphilis reagin is based on the reaction of reagin with a lipid antigen usually extracted from beef heart to produce a visible clumping, or flocculation, within the serum. |
Blood work, including rapid plasma reagin for syphilis and heavy metal screening, had been reported as normal. |