While there are many different types of sexually transmitted diseases in the world, only the more common diseases are usually

covered by awareness campaigns and media documentaries. However, the dynamic nature of the world means that new sexually transmitted diseases are discovered every day or become prominent off and on. One sexually transmitted disease that was considered very rare before the year of 2003 is Lymphogranuloma Venereum. As a result of this sexually transmitted disease becoming more prominent in recent years in even developed countries, it is critical that awareness about it is increased. The following are some basic facts pertaining to Lymphogranuloma Venereum.

Lymphogranuloma Venereum

What is Lymphogranuloma Venereum?

Lymphogranuloma Venereum is a sexually transmitted disease that affects both men and women alike. It is a disease that is caused by the microorganism Chlamydia Trachomatis. Chlamydia Trachomatis is a bacterium that enters the body through some break in the skin or through mucous membranes. Other names of the disease include Climatic bubo, Durand Nicolas Favre disease, Poradenitis inguinale and Strumous bubo. As the name of the sexually transmitted disease suggests, it involves the infection of the lymph nodes. Once a person is infected, the

organism moves down the lymphatic tunnels and multiplies within the mononuclear phagocytes of the lymph nodes.

What are the different stages and clinical manifestations of the disease?

There are primarily three different clinical manifestations of Lymphogranuloma Venereum, namely the inguinal syndrome, the rectal syndrome and the pharyngeal syndrome. As the names suggest, the three manifestations show up in different places of the body with the inguinal syndrome seen in external sex organs i.e. vagina and penis, the rectal syndrome in the anus and the rectum and the pharyngeal syndrome seen in the pharynx and the neck.

The symptoms or the physical manifestations of the sexually transmitted disease vary on the basis of the stage at which the disease is. There are primarily two stages of the disease i.e. the primary and the secondary. The primary stage of the sexually transmitted disease is characterized by a single genital ulcer that is hard to spot for both men and women but more in women. The primary stage symptoms show up between three to twelve days of infection.

The second stage of the disease, although usually seen within 10 to 30 days after the primary stage, can be seen for up to six months. There is a range of clinical symptoms of this kind of infection with visible manifestations being abnormal discharges, pain, swelling and a range of other problems. It is worth noting that as the organism multiplies and the disease progresses, there is significant swelling in lymph nodes which are then called buboes.

How is Lymphogranuloma Venereum cured?

The treatment of this sexually transmitted disease is an amalgamation of different procedures such as antibiotic regime, drainage of buboes through needle aspiration or even incision, dilation of the rectal stricture, and many others. Commonly used antibiotics in the case of Lymphogranuloma Venereum are tetracycline, doxycycline and erythromycin. Untreated Lymphogranuloma Venereum can result in a variety of more complex problems like edema, arthritis, pneumonitis, hepatitis and perihepatitis.