Genital ulcer

Overview
A Genital ulcer is an ulcer located on the genital area, caused by a sexually transmitted disease such as genital herpes, syphilis, chancroid, or thrush. Some other signs of having genital ulcers include enlarged lymph nodes in the groin area, or vesicular lesions, which are small, elevated sores or blisters. The syndrome may be further classified into penile ulceration and vulval ulceration for males and females respectively.

Complete Differential Diagnosis of the Causes of Genital Ulcers:
In alphabetical order.

Common Causes

 * Balanitis
 * Behcet's disease
 * Cancer
 * Basal cell carcinoma
 * Squamous cell carcinoma
 * Chancroid (Haemophilus ducreyi) (the third most common cause in the USA)
 * Excoriations
 * Herpes Genitalis HSV-2 and less common HSV-1 (the most common cause in USA)
 * HIV-specific ulcers (acute HIV infection or late HIV)
 * Human papilloma virus
 * Lichen planus
 * Neisseria gonorrhoeae
 * Pyoderma
 * Syphilis (primary syphilis) (the second most common cause in USA)
 * Vulvovaginitis

Other Causes (rare)

 * Athabaskan severe combined immunodeficiency
 * Cicatricial pemphigoid
 * Cytomegalovirus infection
 * EBV infection
 * Erythema multiforme
 * Fixed drug eruption
 * Foscarnet
 * Genital trauma
 * Granuloma inguinale (Klebsiella granulomatis)
 * Langerhans cell histiocytosis
 * Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV, Chlamydia trachomatis serovars L1-3)
 * Pemphigus vulgaris
 * Reiter's syndrome
 * Scabies
 * Stevens-Johnson syndrome
 * Strachan's syndrome: orogenital ulceration, sensory neuropathy, amblyopia
 * Yeast infection

Complete Differential Diagnosis of the Causes of Genital Ulcers:
(By organ system)