Chancroid

Chancroid (soft chancre) is an acute infectious disease that is commonly referred to as venereal, that is, sexually transmitted. Chancroid is characterized by the formation of a large number of purulent ulcers on the genitals, as well as inflammation of regional lymph nodes.

Chancroid is a narrowly spread disease. It is characterized by endemicity – that is, the disease is characteristic and often occurs in certain countries, namely in Africa, America, Southeast Asia, and the number of cases of chancroid diseases prevails over cases of syphilis.

Doctors pay attention to the connection between chancroid and the presence of HIV infection, genital herpes or syphilis in the human body.

ETIOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS
Chancroid is an infectious disease, and therefore, there is a pathogen that penetrates into the human body, provokes the development of the disease. The causative agent of the infection is the rod–shaped bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi, which has a special specificity.

Microscopy of the affected material can detect a special location of the rods in the tissues. The sticks form parallel rows. This arrangement has been called “flocks of fish”, or “chains”. The bacterium is referred to as streptobacilli.

Infection with chancroid occurs, obviously, during sexual intercourse. At the same time, bacteria do not necessarily get to the damaged areas of the skin, they also penetrate the body simply by getting on the mucous membranes of the male and female genitals. The risk of transmission of chancroid from a sick person to a healthy person during sexual intercourse reaches 50%.

The disease evenly affects both the female and male population, but cases of bacterial transmission predominate in the female sex. Such women can infect many men (a reference to the provision of sexual services by the female sex), but the disease itself will not manifest itself in any way. In most cases, a woman who is a bacterial carrier may not even suspect that she is the source of the disease.

SYMPTOMS OF CHANCROID
The incubation period of the disease is short – starting from a day after infection, up to a week or two. On average, the incubation period lasts 1-3 days. Following the incubation period, an acute period develops, in which the very height of the disease is observed. At the site of the introduction of the pathogen, external symptoms appear – first a small hyperemic spot of pronounced red color appears. Then a nodule forms at the site of hyperemia, which is opened in the near future, forming erosion.

The ulcer is very painful and causes severe discomfort to the patient. After a few days, the ulcer increases due to the appearance of small new ones around the first focus. New ulcers open, merge and form a large erosive surface – a creeping ulcer. The bottom of the ulcer is covered with a purulent-bloody plaque.

The edges of the ulcer are surrounded by an inflammatory roller, the edges themselves are uneven. The soreness of the soft chancroid fundamentally distinguishes it from the syphilitic hard chancre.

Localization of the primary lesion is also characteristic of such a disease:

The frenulum of the penis.
Navicular fossa.
Labia in women.
The inner leaf of the foreskin.
Coronal furrow
In particularly rare cases, chancroid occurs outside of the genitals – thus signaling an extra-sexual pathway of infection.

Complications of a soft chancroid are considered to be inflammation of the lymphatic ducts and nodes, followed by the formation of a bubo. Also, with inflammation and edema of the foreskin, phimosis often develops.

DIAGNOSIS OF CHANCROID
Bacteriological and serological examination of pus.
Microscopy of the material – detection of chains and “flocks of fish”.
External examination of the patient – the typicality of the ulcer leaves almost no doubt about the diagnosis.
TREATMENT OF CHANCROID
The disease is easily amenable to drug therapy and is completely cured after undergoing antibacterial therapy.

Most often, the course of drug therapy lasts no more than 2 weeks. In addition to antibiotics or sulfonamides, the patient is prescribed immunomodulating drugs and vitamins. It would be useful to undergo tests for the presence of infections such as syphilis, HIV, herpes.

Antibiotics are used in the form of local ointments and creams. The effectiveness of treatment is directly determined by the duration of the disease – the earlier the patient seeks help, the more favorable the prognosis. With a neglected disease, surgical intervention is already required, and the consequences and complications are often very deplorable.

Post Views: 484

Cellulite

Micromastia

Small buttocks

Most Popular

WHO: 1 billion people in the world are served by medical institutions without reliable power supply

Gastritis symptoms and what is it

Diarrhea

Rectal prolapse

Recent Comments