What Is Chancroid?

What Is Chancroid?

Chancroid, also called soft chancre, is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi. In women and men, usually multiple painful ulcers with well-defined borders and soft bases, which bleed easily on contact, appear on or around the genitals. In this disease, in which transmission is even easier through wounds, cuts or scratches, the rate of HIV transmission to diagnosed individuals is also high. For this reason, people with the disease need to be treated promptly. Chancroid, which is seen rarely in Cyprus, is more common in developing countries with tropical climates. People who travel to countries where hygiene and nutrition conditions are inadequate and who have sexual contact are in the risk group.

Chancroid Symptoms

Chancroid symptoms appear on average 4 to 10 days after transmission through sexual intercourse. The lesions are first red around the edges and raised in the center. They quickly turn into ulcers, and their size varies between 3 and 50 mm. The ulcers, which are very painful, are seen on the labia, cervix and vagina in women, and usually in the penile region in men. The ulcers have sharp borders, a soft center and a grayish-yellow base color. The ulcers bleed easily on contact. Chancroid is more common in men than in women. However, while the symptoms in men are clearly evident, in some cases women may have no ulcers at all. The first symptoms in women are pain during sexual intercourse and a burning sensation when urinating. In fewer than half of patients, painful swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin develops in addition to the ulcer; without treatment it may fill with pus and become a bubo.

Chancroid Diagnosis

You can look at the STD PCR test performed in our laboratory. 

Chancroid Treatment

For the treatment of chancroid, the diagnosis must first be made correctly. Since physical examination can be a misleading diagnostic method, a culture test should be performed on a sample taken from the ulcer and the disease should be confirmed. In the diagnosis of chancroid, it is important to distinguish the disease from other sexually transmitted diseases. After the diagnosis, antibiotic treatment is started. A single oral dose of azithromycin or a single intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone is the recommended treatment; ciprofloxacin or erythromycin may be used as an alternative. Within 48 hours after the start of treatment, the pain caused by the sores decreases, and after about 10-15 days the ulcers heal completely. However, in people with a positive HIV test, the healing process may be somewhat longer than in other patients. In untreated chancroid, the scars in the areas of the genitals where ulcers formed may be permanent. In addition, infection-related complications may develop in women.