BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of primary and secondary syphilis is delayed when a darkfield microscope (DF) is not available and when serological tests for syphilis cannot perform immediately. The possibility of performing a rapid test would help guide the diagnosis to initiate a specific and timely treatment. We compared the results obtained in a small sample of patients with suspected primary and secondary syphilis with a "point of care" (POC) syphilis test, DF and standard serological tests for syphilis. 
METHODS: From March 2012 to October 2017, 19 patients with suspected primary and secondary syphilis were derived from a public hospital of Buenos Aires. They underwent the POC with whole blood collected by fingerstick, serous fluid from lesions for the detection of T. pallidum by DF, serum obtained by venipuncture for the treponemal particle agglutination test (TPPA) and non-treponemal qualitative and quantitative test, unheated serum reagin (USR). 
RESULTS: Ninety five (95%) samples were obtained from male. Median age of patients was 24 years (range: 16-75 years). Syphilis was diagnosed in 63.2%(12/19) of patients. The concordance between POC and DF was 88% (14/16) and concordance between POC and TPPA was 100% (19/19). The distribution of results between the different tests was: 
a) Positive POC, TPPA, DF and positive USR (1-128dils): 31.6% (6/19)
b) Positive POC, TPPA, DF and negative USR: 10.5% (2/19)
c) Positive POC, TPPA, USR (32 and 64dils) and negative DF: 10.5% (2/19)
d) Positive POC, TPPA, USR (64-128dils) with unsatisfactory DF (lesion without serous fluid for the sampling): 10.5% (2/19) 
e) Negative POC, TPPA, DF and USR: 31.6% (6/19) 
f) Negative POC, TPPA, USR with unsatisfactory DF: 5.3% (1/19)
CONCLUSIONS: POC test could help solve cases of suspected early syphilis becoming a useful tool in primary care, when there is difficult assure a diagnosis

COMPARISON OF POINT-OF-CARE SYPHILIS TEST WITH DARKFIELD MICROSCOPY AND STANDARD SEROLOGICAL TESTS FOR DIAGNOSIS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SYPHILIS