We classified 1.1% of our uveitis cases from 1970 to 1980 as presumably caused by syphilis. We did not initially suspect syphilis in most of these 28 patients. None of the women and only half of the men had reactive VDRL tests. If the fluorescent-treponemal-antibody absorption test had not been used, three-fourths of these would have gone undiagnosed.