Chancre
Genital ulcer
title: "Chancre" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bacterium-related-cutaneous-conditions", "medical-signs", "syphilis"] description: "Genital ulcer" topic_path: "general/bacterium-related-cutaneous-conditions" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancre" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Genital ulcer ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Fox_Plate_LXXVII.jpg" caption="Chancres on the face and hand. Up-left: upper lip, Up-right: lower lip, Bottom-right: right upper eyelid, Bottom-right: thumb."] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Ulcus-durum-am-Penis-01.jpg" caption="Chancre on the underside of the penis"] ::
A chancre ( ) is a painless genital ulcer most commonly formed during the primary stage of syphilis. This infectious lesion forms around 21 days after the initial exposure to Treponema pallidum, the gram-negative spirochaete bacterium causing syphilis, but can range from 10 to 90 days. Without treatment it may persist for two to six weeks before healing. Chancres transmit syphilis through direct physical contact. These ulcers usually form on or around the anus, mouth, penis and vulva.
Chancres are also associated with the African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), surrounding the area of the tsetse fly bite.
Similarities with chancroid
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Chancres_on_the_penile_shaft_due_to_a_primary_syphilitic_infection_caused_by_Treponema_pallidum_6803_lores.jpg" caption="Two chancres on the penile shaft, caused by primary syphilis. Chancres develop at the site of ''Treponema pallidum'' inoculation."] ::
Similarities between the conditions chancre and chancroid:
- Both originate as pustules at the site of inoculation, and progress to ulcerated 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
::data[format=table title="Differences between the conditions chancre and chancroid{{cite web |url=https://www.nurx.com/faq/whats-the-difference-between-a-chancre-and-a-chancroid/| title=What's the Difference Between a Chancre and a Chancroid?|website=NURX |access-date= 7 July 2021}}"]
| Chancre | Chancroid |
|---|---|
| Caused by Treponema pallidum infection | Caused by Haemophilus ducreyi infection |
| Typically painless | Typically painful |
| Typically single lesion | Typically multiple lesions |
| Regional bilateral lymph node enlargement | Regional unilateral lymph node enlargement |
| Typically exudes serum | Typically has a grey or yellow purulent exudate |
| Hard (indurated) base with sloping edges | Soft base with undermined edges |
| Heals spontaneously within three to six weeks | Requires antibiotic 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", they both come from the Latin cancer, meaning "crab", which is a translation from the Greek word καρκίνος (karkínos), also meaning "crab".
References
References
- [http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/chancres chancres] thefreedictionary{{full citation needed. (February 2017)
- "Chancroid".
- "What's the Difference Between a Chancre and a Chancroid?".
- link. (2012-08-06 {{full citation needed). (February 2017)
- Ayto, John. (1990). "Dictionary of Word Origins". Arcade Publishing, Inc.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::