The chancre is a typical skin lesion of clinical stage I syphilis, which initially appears as a small erythematous spot, and can later develop into an inflammatory papule, a hard nodule, or even a necrotic lesion.
The chancre is the earliest skin and mucous membrane damage that occurs after syphilis infection, mainly in the perineal genital area.
The initial symptoms of chancre are characterized by round or oval red inflammatory papules that appear on the skin near the genitals and are usually not accompanied by pain. In men, they are found in the coronal region of the penis, mainly on the foreskin or glans; in women, they are usually found around the vaginal opening, especially on the inner edge of the labia minora.
The papules will expand rapidly into 1-2cm hard nodules within a few days, with clear boundaries, and the surface of the nodules will be necrotic, forming ulcers, with a slight elevation of the surrounding area, accompanied by oedema, and the hardness is similar to that of cartilage when pressed by the hand; pus-like secretions may appear if combined with bacterial infections.
Syphilis patients should consult a doctor in a timely manner, and follow the doctor’s advice to actively treat.