Lymphogranuloma Venereum
Lymphogranuloma venereum (LV) is a sexually transmitted disease caused by chlamydia organisms. LV is found most frequently in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The incubation period ranges from 3 to 12 days. The primary lesion is a 5- to 8-mm, soft, red, painless erosion or ulcer. The ulcer heals spontaneously in a few days. The secondary stage begins 2 to 6 weeks later and is characterized by the appearance of tender, inguinal adenopathy, which develops with over-riding erythema and edema. The lymph nodes coalesce, may fluctuate, and drain spontaneously. Associated fever, chills, and malaise can be severe. The late stage of LV is characterized by anogenital strictures in untreated or under-treated cases.
Differential Diagnosis: LV can be distinguished from cutaneous anthrax in the following manner.
|
LV |
Cutaneous anthrax |
|
|
*Lesion is located in the anogenital area * Genital ulcer or erosion has no eschar * Lymphadenopathy develops after ulcer disappears |
* Lesion is located on exposed parts of the body *Ulcer and eschar are surrounded by characteristic non-pitting edema * Ulcer and lymphadenopathy are concurrent |
Search PIER® - Decision Support
ACP Members Only. Decision support for over 460 clinical topics.
Quality Improvement Programs: Our Quality Improvement programs strive to bridge the gap between research and practice.
Adult Immunization: Inform, Implement, Immunize: ACP's Immunization Outreach Program
Discount Ending Soon!
Register now for Internal Medicine 2010 in Toronto, Canada and save! Join us at the premier scientific event in internal medicine and the subspecialties. View pricing details.
Your Opinion Counts
Twice a year, ACP participates in a journal readership survey of random internists. If you receive one of these surveys in the mail, please indicate if you read our journals and answer the questions about your reading habits of our journals.
Your voice in these surveys is very important to ACP and enables us to continue to produce the high-quality publications that you expect.
Find out more.