A chancre ( )chancres
thefreedictionary is a painless genital ulcer most commonly formed during the primary stage of

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

. This infectious lesion forms approximately 21 days after the initial exposure to '' Treponema pallidum'', the gram-negative spirochaete bacterium yielding syphilis. Chancres transmit the sexually transmissible disease of

through direct physical contact. These ulcers usually form on or around the

anus The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, d ...

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

, penis and vagina. Chancres may diminish between four and eight weeks without the application of medication. Chancres are also associated with the

African trypanosomiasis African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness or simply sleeping sickness, is an insect-borne parasitic infection of humans and other animals. It is caused by the species ''Trypanosoma brucei''. Humans are infected by two typ ...

(sleeping sickness), surrounding the area of the

tsetse fly Tsetse ( , or ) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik flies), are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus ''Glossina'', which are placed in their own family, Glo ...

bite.

Similarities with chancroid

Chancres on the penile shaft due to a primary syphilitic infection caused by Treponema pallidum 6803 lores

Similarities between the conditions chancre and

chancroid Chancroid ( ) is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection characterized by painful sores on the genitalia. Chancroid is known to spread from one individual to another solely through sexual contact. However, there have been reports of accidenta ...

: * Both originate as

pustules A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this sy ...

at the site of

inoculation Inoculation is the act of implanting a pathogen or other microorganism. It may refer to methods of artificially inducing immunity against various infectious diseases, or it may be used to describe the spreading of disease, as in "self-inoculati ...

, and progress to

ulcerated An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing o ...

lesions * Both lesions are typically 1–2 cm in diameter * Both lesions are caused by sexually transmissible organisms * Both lesions typically appear on the genitals of infected individuals

Differences from chancroid

Differences between the conditions chancre and chancroid: * Chancre is a lesion typical of infection with the bacterium that causes

, Treponema pallidum * Chancroid is a lesion typical of infection with the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi * Chancres are typically painless, whereas chancroid are typically painful * Chancres are typically single, whereas chancroid are typically multiple * Chancres cause regional bilateral lymph node enlargement, whereas chancroid cause regional unilateral lymph node enlargement * Chancres typically exude serum, whereas chancroid typically have a grey or yellow purulent

exudate An exudate is a fluid emitted by an organism through pores or a wound, a process known as exuding or exudation. ''Exudate'' is derived from ''exude'' 'to ooze' from Latin ''exsūdāre'' 'to (ooze out) sweat' (''ex-'' 'out' and ''sūdāre'' 'to ...

* Chancres have a hard (indurated) base with sloping edges, whereas chancroid have a soft base with undermined edges * Chancres heal spontaneously within three to six weeks, even in the absence of treatment * Chancres can occur in the pharynx as well as on the genitals. Not to be confused with condylomata lata, which is seen in secondary syphilis

Etymology

The word "chancre" () means "little ulcer" in Old French. Related to the English "

canker A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...

", they both come from the Latin ''cancer'', meaning "crab",medterms.com
/ref> which is a translation from the Greek word καρκίνος (''karkínos''), also meaning "crab".

References

{{Bacterial cutaneous infections Bacterium-related cutaneous conditions Medical signs Syphilis

Similarities with chancroid

Differences from chancroid

Etymology

See also

References