What is a hard chancre? Primary syphilis: incubation period and manifestations, treatment

Hard chancre is a symptom of primary syphilis. It is also called primary syphiloma or erosion. Hard chancre appears in men and women about three weeks after the introduction of the causative agent of the disease, treponema pallidum, into the body. Its symptoms are an erosive or ulcerative formation on the skin or mucous membranes.

Hard chancre has the following features:

• characterized by limited localization;
• does not affect the internal organs and systems of the body;
• responds well to treatment.

The hard chancre got its name from the type of base of the formed ulcer or erosion. The duration of the existence of primary syphiloma is from six to eight weeks.

Localization

Localization of primary syphiloma can be absolutely any. A hard chancre in a person appears directly at the site of introduction of pale treponema into the human body after a certain time after infection. Its most common localization is the external genitalia - in women the labia, clitoris, in men the head, base and trunk of the penis, the outer or inner leaves of the foreskin. In some cases, a hard chancre is formed on the internal mucous membranes: in the urethra in men, on the walls of the vagina or cervix in women.

In ten percent of all cases, an extragenital location of the chancre is observed. Hard chancre in women and men can be localized:

• in the oral cavity;
• in the language;
• on the border of the lips;
• on the tonsils in the throat;
• on the mammary glands of women.

Symptoms

Outwardly, a hard chancre looks like a reddish spot with clearly defined, even edges, up to 1.5 centimeters in size. It has the shape of a geometrically correct circle or oval. Sheer or undermined edges indicate a bacterial complication.

Symptoms of hard chancre are only external. It does not disturb the patient in any way, does not cause any pain. Complications develop only if a bacterial infection has joined the lesion.

After a few days, the redness turns into a flat papule, and after a while - into erosion or an ulcer with a compacted base. Hard chancre has a bottom, which is located on the same level with the skin or slightly raised above.

In almost 90% of cases in women and men, a hard chancre looks like erosion. An ulcer forms:

• when the body is weakened as a result of concomitant chronic diseases;
• as a result of intoxication;
• when self-medicating with local irritants;
• in case of non-observance of elementary rules of personal hygiene;
• in young or elderly patients.

When formed in men on the penis, a hard chancre is covered on top with a transparent, dense detachable film. It is in it that pale treponemas are located, which are then used to determine syphilis. If a hard chancre is located on an open area of ​​the body, then on top it is covered with a dense brownish film.

Hard chancre in size is:

• from 1 to 3 mm - dwarf, it is considered the most dangerous from an epidemiological point of view;
• from 1 to 2 cm - medium;
• up to 4-5 cm - gigantic, localized on the skin of the thighs, pubis, forearms or face.

Hard chancre in humans can vary in the number of morphological units, that is, it can be single and multiple. If multiple chancres are present, then they can appear all at once at the same time or sequentially, one after another, after some time. If there are multiple lesions on the skin, then a hard chancre occurs in several places at once, that is, where pale treponema enters the body. Multiple chancres most often occur during repeated sexual intercourse with a partner with syphilis.

Atypical hard chancre

Rarely, men and women infected with syphilis have a hard chancre in an atypical form. These include:

• amygdalitis;
• indurative edema;
• chancre-panacir.

Chancre-amygdalite is very different from the usual hard chancre on the tonsils. He has other outward symptoms. In most cases, amygdalitis looks like a unilateral enlargement of the tonsil, which occurs very abruptly. It becomes dense to the touch and hyperemic. This symptom is sometimes confused with manifestations of angina.

Indurative edema occurs in the area of ​​the labia in women or the foreskin in men. The affected area, unlike a typical hard chancre, after a while increases in size by two to three times, becomes dense to the touch and acquires a bluish tint. Edema is non-painful, it is not accompanied by acute inflammatory symptoms.

Chancre panaritium is the most atypical manifestation, its danger lies in the fact that the symptoms completely coincide with the usual panaritium, and it looks exactly the same. This can lead to misdiagnosis. The chancre panaritium is characterized by localization on the distal phalanx of the thumb or index finger. A bluish-red swelling appears on the affected area, which turns into an ulcer with a purulent coating on the bottom and uneven deep edges. For chancre-panaritium, symptoms such as throbbing or shooting pains are characteristic. Most often, it occurs in gynecologists and operating surgeons who are in direct contact with the body of a person infected with syphilis, thus, chancre panaritium in most cases is the result of occupational infection.

Syphilis in the form of chancre-panaritium is very rarely detected on time, and therefore the diagnosis becomes known already in the second stage of the disease. Timely detection of atypical chancre is very important, since the primary stage of syphilis is treated most effectively.

Treatment

A hard chancre in a person infected with syphilis is treated in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Throughout the course of therapy, a cessation of any sexual contact is required. It is necessary to treat all sexual partners of a person with syphilis, no matter how many there were. The fact is that the probability of their infection with pale treponema is extremely high.

Treatment of hard chancre is carried out with antibacterial drugs of the penicillin group, since the causative agent of syphilis has not lost sensitivity to them. Most often, these are injectable forms of ampicillin and benzylpenicillin.

You need to know that a hard chancre in itself is not dangerous. It allows you to identify syphilis at its earliest stage. Therefore, timely treatment makes it possible to prevent the further development of the disease and the occurrence of complications. If you find a formation on the skin that resembles the description of a hard chancre, you should immediately consult a doctor for examination.

After suspicious unprotected sexual intercourse, prophylactic treatment may be prescribed, which will prevent the penetration of the causative agent of syphilis into the body. To do this, without delay, contact a dermatovenereologist.

A hard chancre is a serious call announcing the onset of a dangerous illness. If such a symptom appears, it is urgent to consult a doctor, and, before it is too late, begin effective treatment. This primary period of syphilis has not yet led to serious consequences, which means that modern medicine can provide real help.

Hard chancre is a dark red rounded ulcer with raised edges and a hard, cartilaginous base. It is not an independent disease, but expresses the main symptom of the primary stage of syphilis. With this in mind, such a manifestation is often called primary syphiloma.

Primary syphilis appears 3-4 weeks after infection with a pale treponema (spirochete), and the signs of syphilis begin precisely with the formation of a chancre. Such a manifestation of the first stage of syphilis is typical for both men and women, and hard chancre is sometimes recognized by experts as a marker of the disease, since its first location indicates the place where the pathogen enters the body.

Chancre with syphilis has its own characteristics: a limited area of ​​localization; no effect on internal organs; positive cure prognosis. In other words, at the first stage, the disease does not penetrate deep into the body, and at this stage, treatment is carried out according to the standard scheme.

signs

Symptoms of primary syphilis in the form of a chancre may have different localization. Given the predominance of infection through sexual contact, the most typical localization of hard chancre is the external genitalia. Most often in women, the labia and clitoris are affected, in men - the head, the body of the penis, the inner and outer surface of the foreskin. Somewhat less often, pathology is noted in the male urethra, female vaginal walls and uterine cervix.

Almost every tenth case of the disease is characterized by an extragenital location of the first manifestations: mouth, tongue, lips, pharynx and tonsils, female mammary gland.

When primary syphilis develops, the symptoms are associated with the formation of a hard chancre. The initial signs of syphilis look like a red spot on the skin or mucous membrane. The epithelium is gradually destroyed with the formation of erosion. The appearance of a typical ulcer (chancre) is caused by the spirochete reaching the subcutaneous tissue, submucosal layer, and even into the muscle layer.

The following characteristic signs of syphilis in the form of a hard chancre can be distinguished: the formation of a rounded ulcer ranging in size from 2 to 50 mm (the most common size is 10-15 mm) with a hard brown-red bottom; purulent plaque at the bottom of the ulcer of a yellowish tint; the invariance of the form and the absence of an inflammatory reaction on the surrounding tissues. The most important feature - hard chancre does not itch and pain.

When you press the edges of the formation, a symptom of the so-called "weeping chancre" appears - the release of a clear liquid with a slight yellowish tint on the surface of the ulcer.

A chancre can be classified by size as follows:

1. Diameter 1.5-5 mm - miniature (dwarf), the most dangerous in terms of infecting ability.
2. 10-25 mm - medium-sized chancre.
3. 35-55 mm - a giant chancre with frequent localization on the hips, face, shoulders, pubis.

After 4-5 weeks (sometimes after 2.5-3 months), hard chancres disappear on their own, but this does not mean the end of the disease. If such a phenomenon is not the result of therapeutic measures, then the reasons lie in the transition of syphilis to the next phase - a latent clinical form, which then turns into pronounced secondary syphilis.

The final stage of advanced primary syphilis is an increase in the size of the lymph nodes.

Treatment

Primary syphilis is that stage of the disease when treatment allows you to permanently save a person from pathology.
Treatment at the same time sets the following tasks: elimination of the pathogen; blocking the spread of the disease; exclusion of relapses and complications; restoration of damaged tissues; boosting immunity. It should be clearly understood that it is not a hard chancre that should be treated, but syphilis directly. For this, complex conservative therapy is used with the appointment of systemic drugs and external agents (local therapy).

The basic drug for the fight against pale treponema is Extencillin, which is administered in 2 doses by intramuscular injection. In addition to the main remedy, Bicillin-5 injections are carried out, and Erythromycin and Doxycycline tablets are also taken.

Local therapy plays the role of symptomatic treatment. To eliminate ulcers and regenerate damaged tissues, they are treated with solutions of Benzylpenicillin and Dimexide. These procedures increase the effectiveness of basic therapy by ensuring the penetration of drugs. In order to accelerate the regenerating processes, external agents such as mercury, heparin, erythromycin, synthomycin and levorin ointment are prescribed. In the treatment of manifestations in the oral cavity, rinsing with a solution of furacillin, boric acid or gramicidin is used.

Treatment of primary syphilis is carried out strictly according to the scheme prescribed by the doctor. When developing such an algorithm, the severity of the course of the disease, the localization of hard chancres, the individual characteristics of the body, especially in terms of antibiotic tolerance, are taken into account. If necessary, antihistamines (Tavegil, Suprastin) are prescribed to exclude allergic reactions.

Hard chancre is a characteristic sign of the first stage of syphilis. If effective treatment is started at this stage, then a positive result is guaranteed.

A chancre is an ulcerative lesion of the body that occurs as a result of unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner and is the primary symptom of syphilis. Hard chancre does not appear on the skin immediately, but within 10-40 days. The place where the ulceration occurs is the site of attachment of the bacterium spirochete-carrier of syphilitic infection.

Most often, hard chancre occurs on the mucous membranes of the genital organs (on the glans penis, under the layer of foreskin, in the region of the labia minora, on the cervix) or the oral cavity. In more rare cases, atypical forms of hard chancre can affect extra-genital areas of the human body (lips, tongue, larynx, abdomen, thighs, fingers). The localization of a hard chancre depends on the method of infection of a person and the characteristics of the course of the disease.

Today's statistics show that a larger percentage of patients infected with spirochete bacteria go to the clinic with a combination of sexually transmitted diseases, which makes it very difficult to establish the source of infection and prescribe the correct course of treatment. Remember: this type of infection can only be correctly diagnosed in a well-equipped laboratory. However, with the manifestation of hard chancres, a number of characteristic features are observed that can be regarded as an alarming signal.

The specific signs of a chancre in syphilis are its elastic body and a hard base, which can be felt with the fingers by light pressure. The edges of the hard chancre frame the wound in an even circle and protrude slightly above the body. After healing, a scar may remain at the site of the formation of a hard chancre. A hard chancre does not cause any pain to an infected person.

In rare cases, a complex form of hard chancre can cause inflammation in the lymph nodes located near the affected area. Unlike, solid ones do not ooze and, when pressed, release a small amount of brown liquid, which is a concentration of special bacteria. It is impossible to tear or squeeze out a hard chancre. Otherwise, dangerous microorganisms will spread to uninfected areas and provoke the appearance of multiple ulcerative wounds.

A hard chancre without atypical manifestations and pathologies appears on the skin of an infected person as a single ulcerative formation. With proper treatment with antibiotic treatment of the wound, it resolves after a few weeks. If there was no treatment for syphilis, and the rashes on the body disappeared, this indicates a complication of the disease - the onset of its second stage.

Mutations of chancre at present

It is worth noting that modern medicine notes an increase in the number of people infected with syphilis with atypical types of syphilis ulcers. Chancres are often a combination of several skin infections and are difficult to identify.

For example, a large number of patients with syphilis today have chancre in the anus, which was not previously observed. The number of patients with lesions of the oral mucosa, multiple formations of chancres on the genitals has also increased.

A hallmark of the complications of hard chancre is the loss of density of their base, which makes it difficult to determine the disease without additional microbiological analysis.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW!

Among the most common atypical forms of hard chancre today, the following are distinguished:

• . This type of hard chancre affects the larynx and tonsils of a person infected with syphilis. It differs from angina in its asymmetric location and the absence of obvious pain signs and fever.
• Felon. An atypical manifestation of ulcers with which doctors mainly suffer. Panaritium appears on the fingers and hands, is characterized by swelling of the adjacent skin, fever of the patient, and sharp pains in the affected areas. Another feature of this species is the extreme soreness of the wounds and acute inflammation.
• Indurative chancre or edema is an atypical manifestation, manifested by large swelling of the genital organs and is especially dangerous for men. In advanced form, such chancres are fraught with phimosis, deformation of organs, narrowing of the skin of the foreskin, blocking the opening of the head of the penis.

Outwardly, syphilis ulcers of an atypical form of development may resemble a boil or seizures. For this reason, they are difficult to timely diagnose and, if the true picture of the disease is not known, can cause a lot of harm to the patient's body. Against this background, it is very important to once again emphasize the great importance of a timely visit to the doctor. With the right and quick medical intervention, the treatment of hard chancres is easy and without negative consequences.

How to treat the primary sign of syphilis?

The primary signs of a syphilitic disease in the form of hard chancres are an indicator that the bacterium is in its initial stage. Proper medical intervention at this stage is the key to a complete cure for syphilis, without the risk of relapses and pathologies against the background of infection.

There is a certain algorithm of actions for the initial detection of a hard chancre. Following this algorithm helps to correctly formulate a treatment strategy for an infected patient. As a standard, venereologists adhere to the following order:

• The first stage is the detection of a hard chancre. In conditions of a large number of pathological forms and atypical manifestations of syphilis, a complete examination of the body in a specialized clinic will be the most effective.
• At the second stage, it is necessary to neutralize the spirochete bacteria, which are the cause of the development of syphilis and ulcerative lesions.
• The third stage is fixing. The patient who has completed the course of treatment is prescribed a prophylactic course lasting from 6 to 12 months, which will help prevent the risk of relapse. The basis of drug therapy at this stage are antibiotics.
• The fourth stage in the treatment of hard chancre is the recovery of the body after infection. The patient is advised to take better care of the immune system, observe the correct diet, and get rid of bad habits.

What medicines help treat chancre?

The main drug used in the treatment of syphilis today is Extencillin. It is administered intravenously to an infected person in several dosed injections. In addition to it, medications such as Erythromycin and Doxycycline provide significant assistance to the doctor in the treatment process.

Places affected by hard chancre should be regularly treated with bactericidal agents aimed at eliminating the symptomatic signs of syphilis. You can use a solution of Benzylpenicillin and Dimexide. Careful, daily treatment of ulcers prevents dangerous bacteria from entering healthy areas of the skin and, as a result, eliminates the aggravation of the disease.

With the development of a hard chancre on the oral mucosa, furacillin solutions or boric acid can be used for regular rinsing and prevention. At the same time, remember that only a qualified specialist can prescribe a full course of treatment for syphilis.

Important rules of therapy

First of all, it is important to know that the treatment of hard chancre without parallel treatment of syphilis is impossible. Therefore, at the very first ulcerative growths on the skin, you need to consult a doctor who will give a professional assessment and prescribe all the necessary types of examinations. When detecting the first hard chancre, it is also necessary to stop sexual intercourse until the moment of recovery. This is important, since a weakened body becomes an easy target for other dangerous bacteria transmitted in this way, and the course of syphilis will only accelerate.

Also, do not try to engage in self-diagnosis and self-treatment. To protect yourself and your body from a harmful infection, you should not use a search engine and look for information on the topic: “what does a hard chancre look like”, “what is a hard chancre”, “hard chancre on the lip”, “hard chancre in the mouth”, “hard chancre in women”, “hard chancre on the penis”, “hard chancre on the labia”, “hard chancre in men”, “recognize hard chancre”, “hard chancre treatment”, “what does chancre look like in women”, “it hurts whether a hard chancre”, “hard chancre on the tongue”, “signs of a hard chancre”, “hard chancre description”, “hard chancre on the finger”, “how does a hard chancre appear”, “distinguish hard chancres”. Attempts to self-diagnose ulcerative rashes on the skin are dangerous by worsening the disease due to improper treatment. We will help you find a modern clinic where you can undergo a complete diagnosis of the body and receive the most effective individual course of therapy.

It is a rather dangerous disease that is sexually transmitted. One of the primary signs of the disease can be a syphilitic chancre. This neoplasm of a benign nature appears on the human body after a few weeks of the disease. In the absence of proper treatment, syphilitic chancre can turn into erosion.

Types of syphilitic chancres

There are many characteristics that describe the chancre in syphilis. Depending on the criterion, several classifications and types of chancres are distinguished. Depending on the depth of the skin lesion, ulcerative (rather deep) and erosive (less deep, located on the surface of the skin) are distinguished. Chancres can be located in a single instance, or they can be represented by whole groups of neoplasms.

The sizes of chancres with syphilis may vary. There are the following sizes of neoplasms in venereal disease:

• Dwarf (size does not exceed one centimeter);
• Medium (size can reach two centimeters);
• Giant (can grow up to five centimeters in diameter).

Not many people know that a disease such as syphilis can provoke the appearance of hard and soft chancres. You need to know what a hard chancre looks like. It is he who occurs as the primary symptom of syphilis. Chancre can affect almost all parts of the human body.

Its distinguishing characteristic is a geometrically correct area on the skin with a whitish film on top. This film contains a huge variety of causative agents of syphilis.

With syphilis, atypical forms of chancre can develop:

• Chancre felon. A similar type of chancre is located in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe hands and fingers. Quite often, chancres on the index and thumbs appear in gynecologists and surgeons as an occupational disease. Panartium is a rather painful neoplasm;

• Chancre amygdalite. Chancres of a similar nature appear on one of the tonsils in the throat of a person with syphilis. A neoplasm of such a plan practically does not hurt and does not bother a person. The only difference is that the affected tonsil is significantly different from the healthy one in size. Chancre amygdalitis can affect the health of the pharynx;

• Inductive edema. Such a neoplasm appears on the genitals in women and men. The tissues of the genital organs become denser, swell and increase in size. At the same time, there are no unpleasant and painful sensations.

The first signs of the appearance of a syphilitic chancre

Syphilis is a dangerous disease not only for health, but also for human life. If left untreated, the disease becomes chronic, constantly tormenting the patient with remissions, until it leads to death. The bacteria that causes syphilis cause symptoms of the disease. As a rule, they appear two to three weeks after infection.

Chancre can appear on the following areas of the human body:

• Sex organs. The appearance of a chancre on the genitals of a person infected with syphilis is most common. The causative agent of both the underlying disease and its consequences is pale treponema. Transmission of the pathogen occurs through sexual contact with the carrier. If there are already injuries on the genitals of a woman or a man, the pathogen quickly penetrates into it and forms a chancre in a few weeks;

• Large skin areas. Giant syphilitic chancres, which reach five centimeters in size, are most often located on the hips, back and abdomen. They grow quite quickly and spread throughout the body, they can form whole groups of neoplasms;
• Hands and fingers. Neoplasms of a venereal nature on the hands occur quite rarely. Most often, their appearance is provoked by infection not through sexual contact, but when working directly with the pathogen. The risk zone for such a course of the disease includes doctors and laboratory assistants who work closely with the infected and their biological material.

In rare cases, syphilitic chancre can appear on the mucous membrane, on the face and other parts of the body.

Visual signs of chancre

The period from the appearance of the first signs of neoplasm to the formation of a full-fledged hard chancre can be about a month. In very rare cases, the first signs of the disease appeared already seven to ten days after the entry of treponema into the human body. On the contrary, a long absence of the primary symptom can provoke the use of antibiotics, which kill some of the bacteria or slow down their vital activity.

The process of formation of a syphilitic chancre:

• Solid syphilis chancre is formed two to three weeks after the onset of treponema in the human body;
• Regional scleradenitis develops. It is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. The appearance of small formations in the region of the lymph nodes, which are located near the chancre;
2. On palpation, the formations have a heterogeneous structure and are quite dense;
3. The nodes can move under the skin when exposed to them;
4. One of the nodes is usually larger than all the others;
5. The skin in the area of ​​formation of nodes does not change.

A few weeks after the formation of the chancre, you can test for syphilis. The serological reaction in the presence of the pathogen in the body will be positive.

Visually, a syphilitic chancre can be compared with a circle. It has dense and even bases. Its edges completely coincide with the geometric figure. When visually assessing the chancre, its similarity to nodules and small cartilages is distinguished. When located on areas of the body covered by clothing, the chancre has a bright red or slightly purple hue. Constant contact with the external environment causes the chancre to darken to brown.

The neoplasm that causes primary syphilis does not differ in specific symptoms. It does not hurt, does not itch, does not cause any discomfort. In many cases, the symptom of "weeping chancre" is present. In this case, there is a release of a cloudy dense liquid with an external effect on the chancre.

Treatment of syphilitic chancre

Before you start treatment, you need to know that chancre is a condition that is not an independent disease, but only a symptom of syphilis. Its appearance is caused by a disease that needs to be urgently treated.

Chancre is the primary manifestation of the disease. If left untreated, it can develop into a painful ulcer and cause infection of the entire body, and then death.

Every day, chancres must be treated with an antiseptic so that secondary infection does not connect to damaged skin. To do this, any antiseptic liquid is applied to a sterile dressing and attached to the formation on the skin. Giant chancres can be washed and then wrapped with a bandage.

In the treatment of the disease, it is necessary to use complex drugs that allow you to get rid of the cause and remove the symptoms of the disease. The composition of the treatment includes the following drugs:

• Antibacterial ointments and gels;
• Injections and injections of drugs against syphilis.

Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment for syphilis. For sexually transmitted diseases, oxacillin, penicillin and ampicillin can be used. With proper treatment, small chancres completely disappear after two weeks of antibiotic use, giant ones after a month.

And what syphilis looks like in women can be seen in the photo.

Most often, infection occurs sexually, when a mobile spiral microorganism or pale treponema contributes to development if it penetrates through cracks in the skin, starting to show a reaction against a background of reduced immunity and remaining in cells for a long time with a latent course of the disease.

Pale treponema or spirochete, when penetrating into damaged areas of the integument of the skin or mucous membrane, proceeds in 3 stages, quickly begins to divide and multiply.

• Stage 1 - incubation period with a duration of 3-4 weeks;
• stage 2 - after 7 weeks, when septicemia begins to develop if bacteria enter the subclavian vein with the appearance of secondary syphilomas;
• Stage 3 - the development of secondary syphilis with the spread of pale treponema with blood flow throughout the body.

Syphilis manifests itself in different ways and you can see a photo in women: in the form of herpes, a single ulcer or chancre on the body. However, only diagnostics, a complete examination of the microbiological level in the body, can determine with accuracy the type of infection and the causative agent of the disease.

A serology test for primary syphiloma may show a negative result. The reaction will become positive at the secondary stage of the disease, although the incubation period can be quite long, up to 1-2 years.

What does it look like?

Syphilis is a hard chancre in women or an erosive formation with a smooth bottom and clear borders of a bright red color at the base with a dense infiltrate. This is a deep defect with the appearance on the skin or mucous membrane of the labia, cervix, tongue, lips, palate on the inside of the cheeks or near the anus in women.

Usually these are single ulcerative formations on the skin, but rapidly growing in the absence of timely therapeutic effects.

If small ulcers reach a size of no more than 3 mm in diameter, then the largest red infiltrate (6-7 cm) heals longer, leads to a pronounced seal at the base and subsequent scarring in places of localization with abundant fatty tissue: on the abdomen, pubis. In women with syphilis, papules are usually localized in intimate places: near the anus or external genitalia.

The main sign of the development of syphilis is the appearance of a small pustular rash. Eruptions on the body can be erratic. First - red, then - gradually fading in the form of papules, lentils or medium-sized coins with a dense structure and clear shapes. Primary symptoms of syphilis:

• Enlarged lymph nodes;
• Temperature up to 38gr;
• Fever;
• Bouts of vomiting;
• Sleep disturbance;
• Headache;
• swelling of the genitals;
• General malaise;
• The appearance of irritability;
• Lack of appetite.

If the disease is not treated, then in 180-270 days a syphilitic rash will spread throughout the body, which will lead to damage to bone tissue, internal organs, the endocrine system, and the central nervous system.

With the transition to the secondary stage, the papules begin to take the form of nodules, with the discharge of blood particles and pus upon opening. The stage often proceeds secretly and can last from 2 years to 5 years. Symptoms can appear from time to time, having a relapsing course.

Dense formations either flare up on the body again, then gradually turn into dried crusts, fall off and become almost invisible.

At the third or terminal stage of the disease, syphiloma begins to spread to all internal organs, when tuberculous nodular formations take on a bluish-copper-red hue with asymmetric clear boundaries and reach the size of a cherry stone, and as it progresses, with a large walnut.

At the terminal stage, a viscous liquid oozes from the papules upon opening, leaving behind an asterisk-like trail. Ulcers are difficult to heal. Deformation and disintegration of the tissue is observed in the places of localization of the chancre. The vital activity of bacteria in the nose and palate leads to the destruction of bones, to disruption of the functioning of the whole organism as a whole, up to death.

Any suspicion of the appearance of a hard chancre in one place or another, knowing what syphilis may look like in women, should be the reason for diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Syphilis can lead to irreversible consequences, severe deformation of organs and tissues.

Other signs

It has been proven that the infection is transmitted not only through sexual contact, but also through kissing and oral sex. A chancre with a hard bottom can be localized on the lips or in the mouth - palate, tonsils. With syphilis for:

• The labia and organs usually manifest as a rash with the shape of an inflamed crescent or even circle, the area begins to fester or bleed;
• Buttocks rash resembles an allergy or single manifestations;
• The mucous membrane of the vagina outside the labia looks like a solid nodule from 3 mm to 2 cm in diameter with an increase in lymph nodes around the circumference and discharge of serous fluid at autopsy.

In the photo you can see how syphilis visually looks in women when the chancre is located in that other place.

Additionally, there are symptoms such as itching, burning, discharge of a thick flocculent mass at the opening of papules. Already in the secondary period, the bacteria progress, spreading in the form of a rash throughout the body: on the palms, soles of the feet, scalp, when women experience:

• Loss of eyelashes, eyebrows, hair;
• Malaise, temperature up to 38 degrees;
• Aches in the bones;
• Syphilitic hoarseness in the tongue, tonsils, ligaments in the mouth.

If untreated, secondary syphilis will begin to develop, when relapses are inevitable. With syphilis in the third stage, signs such as: nasal retraction, cartilage deformation, overgrowth of the chancre tumor-like body will appear. As a result, the entire body may become covered with tubercles.

The peculiarity of the appearance of a female chancre, unlike men, is the location and, as a rule, in the form of a solitary neoplasm with a seal at the base on the labia, near the urethra.

Often there is a location on the cervix, as a rounded erosive spot of red color with a flat bottom and clear boundaries. When localized on the labia and in the clitoris, it resembles a single erosion, a seal at the base with a possible violation of blood flow and lymph damage, when the tubercle acquires a bluish tint, but is painful to the touch. Soon, the seal may crust or begin to crack.

An erosive ulcer or indurated edema on the genitals are the primary signs of syphilis in women.

Infection with syphilis is dangerous for pregnant women when there is a threat of miscarriage of a baby, birth dead or with defects incompatible with life. Only timely detection and treatment will avoid unpredictable consequences.

In case of suspicion, it is advised not to postpone the trip to the gynecologist, to take a smear or sample (washouts) from the affected area for infection with a venereal infection or the causative agent - pale treponema. The disease is treated with antibiotics and antiseptics for external use in order to quickly suppress the development of infection, intoxication effects on the body, and prevent the transition to a recurrent form.

Self-medication is excluded. Only a doctor should prescribe treatment, since treponema does not show sensitivity to a number of antibiotics and the use of correct, narrowly targeted drugs is required to completely suppress the bacterial flora and prevent relapses in the future.