Chancroid.

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• Effect Size: Not quantified

• Primary Outcome: Dramatic decline in chancroid prevalence in endemic settings with appropriate diagnostics

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Treatment cure assumed possible with recommended antibiotics, but no recent efficacy data provided

• Confidence Interval: Not provided

Clinical Application

Limited by lack of specific diagnostic tests in most Australian laboratories, requiring clinical diagnosis Relevant for sexual health clinics and Indigenous health services; treatment options align with PBS-listed antibiotics; TGA-approved medications available Australian clinicians managing patients with genital ulceration, particularly those with travel history to endemic regions or Indigenous communities

Abstract

Chancroid, caused by Haemophilus ducreyi, is a sexually transmitted genital ulcerative condition associated with inguinal bubo formation. The relative prevalence of chancroid has dramatically declined based on surveillance findings in those few endemic settings where the appropriate diagnostic tools exist; however, laboratory-based diagnostics are lacking to assist clinical management and support etiological surveillance in most parts of the world. Recent yaws surveys within the Western Pacific region indicate that H ducreyi has re-emerged as a frequent cause of chronic skin ulceration. Although there have been no antimicrobial susceptibility studies for three decades, it is assumed that a cure remains possible with extended-spectrum cephalosporins, macrolides, or fluoroquinolones. HIV-1-infected patients require careful followups due to reports of treatment failure with single-dose regimens. Buboes may need additional treatment with either aspiration or excision and drainage.

References

1. 1.Lewis, D. A. (2026). Chancroid. Clinical Dermatology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2025.09.017