MedicineNet.com
About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
September 9, 2010
MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Picture Image Collection MedTerms medical dictionary Pet Health
Font Size
A
A
A

Definition of Test, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed

Test, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed (FTA-ABS): A blood serum screening test for syphilis designed to demonstrate the presence or absence of specific antibodies directed against the organism (Treponema pallidum) responsible for syphilis.

The fluorescent treponemal antibody absorbed (FTA-ABS) test detects the majority but not all cases of the disease. It is thus a way of screening for the disease.

A negative FTA-ABS test result is consistent with a person not having syphilis. However, a person may have a negative FTA-ABS test result while in the early (primary) and late (tertiary) stages of the disease. In the middle (secondary) stage of syphilis, the FTA-ABS test is most reliable and is reportedly positive in 100% of cases.

The FTA-ABS test is often used as a confirmatory test after first screening a patient with a VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) or RPR (rapid plasma reagin) test, since the FTA-ABS test is more expensive and time-consuming than "non-treponemal" syphilis tests such as the VDRL and RPR.


Last Editorial Review: 7/11/1999 7:46:00 PM

Share | | | | | More
Search All of MedicineNet For:
  


Back to MedTerms online medical dictionary A-Z List


Sex & Relationships

Get tips to boost your love life.



Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain









Find a Local Pharmacy: including 24 hour pharmacies

Find a Local
Pharmacy
on RxList.com

including
24 hour
pharmacies





Health categories:

Slideshows | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Image Collection | Medical Dictionary | Pet Health

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Blood Pressure | Cancer | Chronic Pain | Cold & Flu | Diabetes | Digestion | Eyesight | Health & Living | Healthy Kids

Hearing & Ear | Heart | Infectious Disease | Men's Health | Mental Health | News & Views | Pregnancy | Sexual Health | Skin | Women's Health | More...

MedicineNet.com:

Privacy Policy | Newsletters | RSS | Contact Us | Site Map | WebMD Corporate | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies to the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

©1996-2010 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.

This website is certified by TRUSTe. Click to verify.