Which of the Following is Routinely Used to Detect Spirochetes

Question

Which of the following is routinely used to detect spirochetes in skin lesions in early syphilis?
A)Bright-field microscopy
B)Phase-contrast microscopy
C)Dark-field microscopy
D)DNA fingerprinting

Accepted Answer

Dark-field microscopy is routinely used to detect spirochetes in skin lesions in early syphilis. This type of microscopy uses a specialized condenser to illuminate the specimen with light from the side, which allows the spirochetes to stand out against a dark background. Bright-field and phase-contrast microscopy are not commonly used for syphilis diagnosis, and DNA fingerprinting is typically reserved for more complex analyses of bacterial strains.