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Chancroid
Chancroidisabacterialinfectionthatisspreadthroughsexualcontact.

Causes
ChancroidiscausedbyabacteriacalledHaemophilusducreyi.
Theinfectionisfoundinmanypartsoftheworld,suchasAfricaandsouthwestAsia.Veryfewpeopleare
diagnosedintheUnitedStateseachyearwiththisinfection.MostpeopleintheUnitedStateswhoare
diagnosedwithchancroidhavetraveledoutsidethecountrytoareaswheretheinfectionismorecommon.

Symptoms
Within1dayto2weeksafterbecominginfected,apersonwillgetasmallbumponthegenitals.Thebump
becomesanulcerwithinadayafteritfirstappears.Theulcer:
Rangesinsizefrom1/8inchto2inchesindiameter
Ispainful
Issoft
Hassharplydefinedborders
Hasabasethatiscoveredwithagrayoryellowishgraymaterial
Hasabasethatbleedseasilyifitisbangedorscraped
Abouthalfofinfectedmenhaveonlyasingleulcer.Womenoftenhave4ormoreulcers.Theulcersappear
inspecificlocations.
Commonlocationsinmenare:
Foreskin
Groovebehindtheheadofthepenis
Shaftofthepenis
Headofthepenis
Openingofthepenis

Scrotum
Inwomen,themostcommonlocationforulcersistheouterlipsofthevagina(labiamajora)."Kissing
ulcers"maydevelop.Kissingulcersarethosethatoccuronoppositesurfacesofthelabia.
Otherareas,suchastheinnervaginalips(labiaminora),theareabetweenthegenitalsandtheanus
(perinealarea),andtheinnerthighsmayalsobeinvolved.Themostcommonsymptomsinwomenare
painwithurinationandintercourse.
Theulcermaylooklikethesoreofprimarysyphilis(chancre).
Abouthalfofthepeoplewhoareinfectedwithachancroiddevelopenlargedlymphnodesinthegroin.
Inhalfofpeoplewhohaveswellingofthegroinlymphnodes,thenodesbreakthroughtheskinandcause
drainingabscesses.Theswollenlymphnodesandabscessesarealsocalledbuboes.

ExamsandTests
Thehealthcareproviderdiagnoseschancroidbylookingattheulcer(s),checkingforswollenlymphnodes
andtesting(rulingout)forothersexuallytransmitteddiseases.Thereisnobloodtestforchancroid.

Treatment
Theinfectionistreatedwithantibioticsincludingceftriaxone,andazithromycin.Largelymphnodeswellings
needtobedrained,eitherwithaneedleorlocalsurgery.

Outlook(Prognosis)
Chancroidcangetbetteronitsown.Somepeoplehavemonthsofpainfululcersanddraining.Antibiotic
treatmentoftenclearsupthelesionsquicklywithverylittlescarring.

PossibleComplications
Complicationsincludeurethralfistulasandscarsontheforeskinofthepenisinuncircumcisedmales.
Peoplewithchancroidshouldalsobecheckedforothersexuallytransmittedinfections,includingsyphilis,
HIV,andgenitalherpes.
InpeoplewithHIV,chancroidmaytakemuchlongertoheal.

WhentoContactaMedicalProfessional
Callforanappointmentwithyourproviderif:
Youhavesymptomsofchancroid
Youhavehadsexualcontactwithapersonwhoyouknowhasasexuallytransmittedinfection(STI)
Youhaveengagedinhighrisksexualpractices

Prevention
Chancroidisspreadbysexualcontactwithaninfectedperson.Avoidingallformsofsexualactivityisthe
onlyabsolutewaytopreventasexuallytransmitteddisease.
However,safersexbehaviorsmayreduceyourrisk.Theproperuseofcondoms,eitherthemaleorfemale
type,greatlydecreasestheriskofcatchingasexuallytransmitteddisease.Youneedtowearthecondom
fromthebeginningtotheendofeachsexualactivity.

AlternativeNames
SoftchancreUlcusmolleSexuallytransmitteddiseasechancroidSTDchancroidSexually
transmittedinfectionchancroidSTIchancroid

References
MookerjeeAL,NewellGC.Chancroid.In:LebwohlMG,HeymannWR,BerthJonesJ,CoulsonI,eds.
TreatmentofSkinDisease:ComprehensiveTherapeuticStrategies.4thed.Philadelphia,PA:Elsevier
Saunders2014:chap40.
MurphyTF.HaemophilusspeciesincludingH.influenzaeandH.ducreyi(chancroid).In:BennettJE,Dolin
R,MandellGL,eds.Mandell,Douglas,andBennett'sPrinciplesandPracticeofInfectiousDiseases.8th
ed.Philadelphia,PA:ElsevierSaunders2015:chap227.

ReviewDate9/10/2015
Updatedby:JatinM.Vyas,MD,PhD,AssistantProfessorinMedicine,HarvardMedicalSchoolAssistant
inMedicine,DivisionofInfectiousDisease,DepartmentofMedicine,MassachusettsGeneralHospital,
Boston,MA.AlsoreviewedbyDavidZieve,MD,MHA,IslaOgilvie,PhD,andtheA.D.A.M.Editorialteam.

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