Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Genital Ulcer
Introduction
Overview
Overview
A Genital ulcer is an ulcer located on the genital area, caused by a sexually transmitted disease such as genital herpes, syphilis, chancroid, or thrush. Some other signs of having genital ulcers include enlarged lymph nodes in the groin area, or vesicular lesions, which are small, elevated sores or blisters. The syndrome may be further classified into penile ulceration and vulval ulceration for males and females respectively.
Causes[1][2]
Common Causes
- Balanitis
- Behcet’s disease
- Cancer
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Chancroid (Haemophilus ducreyi) (the third most common cause in the USA)
- Excoriations
- Herpes Genitalis HSV-2 and less common HSV-1 (the most common cause in USA)
- HIV-specific ulcers (acute HIV infection or late HIV)
- Human papilloma virus
- Lichen planus
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Pyoderma
- Syphilis (primary syphilis) (the second most common cause in USA)
- Vulvovaginitis
Other Causes (rare)
- Athabaskan severe combined immunodeficiency
- Cicatricial pemphigoid[3]
- Cytomegalovirus infection
- EBV infection
- Erythema multiforme
- Fixed drug eruption[4]
- Foscarnet[5]
- Genital trauma
- Granuloma inguinale (Klebsiella granulomatis)
- Langerhans cell histiocytosis
- Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV, Chlamydia trachomatis serovars L1-3)
- Pemphigus vulgaris
- Reiter’s syndrome
- Scabies
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- Strachan’s syndrome: orogenital ulceration, sensory neuropathy, amblyopia[6]
- Yeast infection
Complete Differential Diagnosis of the Causes of Genital Ulcers:
(By organ system)
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical / poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | Balanitis, Behcet’s disease, Cancer, Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, Chancroid, Chlamydia trachomatis, Herpes Genitalis, Lichen planus, Pyoderma, Syphilis, Cicatricial pemphigoid, Erythema multiforme, Excoriations, Fixed drug eruption, Granuloma inguinale, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, Lymphogranuloma venereum, Pemphigus vulgaris, Reiter’s syndrome, Scabies, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Strachan’s syndrome |
| Drug Side Effect | Foscarnet |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | No underlying causes |
| Iatrogenic | Excoriations |
| Infectious Disease | Chancroid, Chlamydia trachomatis, Herpes Genitalis, Human papilloma virus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Syphilis (primary syphilis), Vulvovaginitis, Cytomegalovirus infection, Granuloma inguinale,
Lymphogranuloma venereum, Scabies, Yeast infection, HIV, Klebsiella granulomatis, EBV infection |
| Musculoskeletal / Ortho | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional / Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis |
| Opthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose / Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal / Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheum / Immune / Allergy | Behcet’s disease, Athabaskan severe combined immunodeficiency, Cicatricial pemphigoid, Erythema multiforme, Fixed drug eruption, Pemphigus vulgaris, Reiter’s syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | Genital trauma, Excoriations |
| Urologic | Balanitis, Cancer, Chancroid, Genital trauma, Granuloma inguinale, Lymphogranuloma venereum, Yeast infection |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
Medical Therapy
Medical Therapy
Pathogen-Based Therapy
References
References
- ↑ Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:77 ISBN 1591032016
- ↑ Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:68 ISBN 140510368X
- ↑ Martín JM, Pinazo I, Molina I; et al. (2009). “Cicatricial pemphigoid of the Brunsting-Perry type”. Int. J. Dermatol. 48 (3): 293–4. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2009.03975.x. PMID 19261020. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Fischer G (2007). “Vulvar fixed drug eruption. A report of 13 cases”. J Reprod Med. 52 (2): 81–6. PMID 17393766. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Luelmo J, Sala M, Sasal M, Cervantes M (1996). “[Genital ulcers from foscarnet: three cases]”. Med Clin (Barc) (in Spanish; Castilian). 107 (8): 318. PMID 8965499. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Cockerell OC, Ormerod IE (1993). “Strachan’s syndrome: variation on a theme”. J. Neurol. 240 (5): 315–8. PMID 8326339. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help)
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] John Fani Srour, M.D.