Genital ulcer management?
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Hi, there is a 29-year-old male in my locality. He is suffering from painful penile lesions that had progressed for approximately five weeks prior to presentation. He had recently been released from a correctional facility. The patient reported unprotected sex with multiple male and female partners. The patient also stated that the lesions began as small erythematous macules that slowly progressed to ulcers. What should he do now?
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@milan Herpes simplex virus infection and syphilis are the most common causes of genital ulcers. Noninfectious etiologies, including sexual trauma, psoriasis, Behçet syndrome, and fixed drug eruptions, can also lead to genital ulcers. Although initial treatment of genital ulcers is generally based on clinical presentation, the following tests should be considered in all patients: serologic tests for syphilis and darkfield microscopy or direct fluorescent antibody testing for Treponema pallidum, culture or polymerase chain reaction test for herpes simplex virus, and culture for Haemophilus ducreyi in settings with a high prevalence of chancroid. Treatment of noninfectious causes of genital ulcers varies by etiology, and ranges from topical wound care for ulcers caused by sexual trauma to consideration of subcutaneous pegylated interferon alfa-2a for ulcers caused by Behçet syndrome.