A bubo (Greek βουβών, ''boubṓn'', 'groin') is

adenitis Adenitis is a general term for an inflammation of a gland. Often it is used to refer to lymphadenitis which is the inflammation of a lymph node. Classification Lymph node adenitis ''Lymph adenitis'' or ''lymph node adenitis'' is caused by infec ...

or inflammation of the lymph nodes and is an example of reactive lymphadenopathy.

Classification

Buboes are a symptom of bubonic plague and occur as painful swellings in the thighs, neck, groin or armpits. They are caused by ''

Yersinia pestis ''Yersinia pestis'' (''Y. pestis''; formerly '' Pasteurella pestis'') is a gram-negative, non-motile, coccobacillus bacterium without spores that is related to both ''Yersinia pseudotuberculosis'' and ''Yersinia enterocolitica''. It is a facult ...

'' bacteria spreading from

flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...

bites through the bloodstream to the lymph nodes, where the bacteria replicate, causing the nodes to swell. Plague buboes may turn black and

necrotic Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dige ...

, rotting away the surrounding tissue, or they may rupture, discharging large amounts of

pus Pus is an exudate, typically white-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammation during bacterial or fungal infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collection ...

Infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dis ...

can spread from buboes around the body, resulting in other forms of the disease such as

pneumonic plague Pneumonic plague is a severe lung infection caused by the bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. Symptoms include fever, headache, shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing. They typically start about three to seven days after exposure. It is one ...

Management

Plague patients whose buboes swell to such a size that they burst tend to survive the disease. Before the discovery of antibiotics, doctors often

drained ''Drained'', (Portuguese: ''O Cheiro do Ralo'') is a 2006 Brazilian dark comedy film based on a novel by Lourenço Mutarelli. It was directed by Heitor Dhalia, and stars Selton Mello. The film was produced by Geração Conteúdo, Primo Filmes & ...

buboes to save patients. Buboes are also symptoms of other diseases, such as chancroid and

lymphogranuloma venereum Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV; also known as climatic bubo, Durand–Nicolas–Favre disease, poradenitis inguinale, lymphogranuloma inguinale, and strumous bubo) is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the invasive serovars L1, L2, L2a, L2 ...

. In these conditions, a two-week course of antibiotics is the recommended treatment, and incision and drainage or excision of the swollen lymph nodes is best avoided. However, aspiration may sometimes be performed to prevent buboes from rupturing. Although incision and drainage yields better results in such cases, since usually no further intervention is necessary, whereas repeat aspirations may be required,

incision and drainage Incision and drainage (I&D), also known as clinical lancing, are minor surgical procedures to release pus or pressure built up under the skin, such as from an abscess, boil, or infected paranasal sinus. It is performed by treating the area with a ...

wounds may heal more slowly, increasing the risk of secondary infection.

References

{{Authority control Symptoms and signs: Skin and subcutaneous tissue