Painful genital lesions

One of the reasons why people visit their genital practitioners can be painful genital lesions. Majority of people feel rather embarrassed when they spot these skin changes and postpone going to the doctor until the symptoms and signs of the disease become unbearable. Also genital lesion can come and go and a patient will eventually see the doctor after several attacks of the disease. Nobody should be uncomfortable if genital lesions occur and it is very important to report these skin changes as soon as possible, since this way the treatment can start on time and the disease can be easily cured.

The Examination

A doctor will examine a patient and ask certain questions related to the sexual activities and problems the patient is complaining about. He/she will then perform certain tests, take swabs of the lesions and send them to laboratory for further examination. In some cases the doctor takes biopsy of skin changes.

Differential Diagnosis

According to the symptoms and signs of the disease as well the appearance of the genital lesions a doctor can make differential diagnosis but only the tests and pathohistological examination of the biopsy can confirm or rule out some medical conditions.

The most common causes of painful genital lesions include herpes simplex virus, chahcroid and syphilis. Apart from these granuloma inguinale, lymphogranuloma venereum and some other skin condition can be also the cause of genital lesions. Even malignant tumors can start as an ulcer and feature with pain.

In most of the patients genital lesions are caused by the infection of herpes simplex virus. The skin lesions in this infection include multiple ulcers accompanied by tingling pain. A patient can report several episodes of the disease and the diagnosis is most commonly set according to the appearance of the skin changes.

Syphilis is an infection which features with specific lesions. The skin changes in syphilis vary according to the stage of the disease. The doctor will set the diagnosis after performing certain tests and according to the appearance of the skin changes.

Chancroid is a sexually transmitted disease in which genital lesions are rather painful. The conformation of this disease requires thorough inspection and swabs of the skin changes. The shape and predilection places of the lesions can be of additional help.

After the diagnosis has been set the doctor will prescribe specific medications or ointments depending on the cause of the genital lesions. These will help in reduction or elimination of the symptoms of the disease and eventually assist in its eradication.