What are the early symptoms of chancre?

Chancroid is easy to show in the early stage, with small red papules or nodules appearing in the genital area, and sometimes symptoms of erosion and ulcers. It is common in the labia, clitoris and urethral opening in women. Once these symptoms are found, attention should be paid to treatment.

1. The average incubation period is 3-4 weeks. The typical lesion is the appearance of a small red papule or nodule at the site of spirochete invasion at the beginning of the chancre, which later manifests as erosion and forms a shallow ulcer. It is hard and painless, round or oval in shape, with clear boundaries, neat edges, and a dam-like protrusion. It is surrounded by dark red infiltration, has a characteristic cartilage-like hardness, a flat base, no pus, and a fibrin-like film on the surface that is not easy to remove. If squeezed slightly, a small amount of serous exudate may be produced, which contains a large number of Treponema pallidum and is an important source of infection. Chancroids are mostly single, but 2-3 chancroids may also occur. The above is a typical chancre.

2. Chancroid in women is often seen on the labia majora and minora, clitoris, urethral orifice, mons pubis, and especially on the cervix, and is easy to miss diagnosis. Chancroid has the following characteristics: ① The lesion is often single; ② Cartilage-like hardness; ③ Painless; ④ The surface of the lesion is clean. One week after the appearance of chancroid, nearby lymph nodes swell, which are characterized by being painless, without redness or swelling on the skin, without adhesion to surrounding tissues, and without ulceration. This is called painless bubo (painless lymphadenitis).

3. In addition to chancre, a small number of patients with primary syphilis may also develop hard and tough edema on the labia majora, foreskin or scrotum. Like elephant skin, it is called hard edema (Edema Induratum). If the patient is also infected with chancroid caused by Haemophilus ducreyi or erosive ulcers caused by lymphogranuloma venereum, it is called mixed chancroid.