Test Overview
Flocculation/Agglutination
Aid in the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. The VDRL on spinal fluid gives a high percentage of false negatives. The VDRL-CSF should be performed only when the patient's SERUM treponemal test (FTA-ABS) result is reactive.
Negative. Positive results will be titered.
* Reference ranges may change over time. Please refer to the original patient report when evaluating results.
Test Details
1 - 3 days
- Cerebrospinal Fluid, VDRL
- CSF, VDRL
- Serologic Test for Syphilis, CSF
- Spinal Fluid VDRL
- VDRL-C
- Rapid Plasma Reagin Equivalent, CSF
- Syphilis Antibody Screen, CSF
- RPR Equivalent, CSF
- Treponema pallidum Antibody Screen, CSF
- VDSF
- VDRL, CSF
Specimen Requirements
Collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and freeze.
Additional Information
Test sent to Mayo Medical Laboratories. If the screen is positive, a VDRL Titer (Mayo VDSFQ) will be performed at an additional charge. By ordering this test the clinician acknowledges that additional reflex testing will be performed and billed at a separate additional charge if indicated. A reactive CSF-VDRL, free of blood or other contamination almost always indicates past or present CNS syphilis. A biological false positive CSF-VDRL test result for syphilis is rare. The CSF-VDRL syphilis test is not an appropriate screening test because, although specific, it is not sensitive. A negative result can also occur in some neurosyphilis patients, so the test cannot be used to rule out neurosyphilis. The Centers for Disease Control recommend that the CSF-VDRL be performed ONLY when a patient has a seropositive treponemal test (reactive serum FTA-ABS). CSF FTA-ABS testing is not recommended by the CDC, but may be used to rule out neurosyphilis if the CSF FTA-ABS is reported as nonreactive.