During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Genital sores. These may include a physical examination or other medical tests. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
Why: e.g. ulcers, blisters, lump, wart.
Why: to help determine risk of sexually transmitted infections.
Why: e.g. primary syphilis is rare in urban Australia but must be excluded if suspect this diagnosis, especially if there has been recent sexual contact in South East Asia; Donovanosis is endemic in northern and central Australia; Chancroid is usually only seen following sexual exposure in South East Asia, India or Africa; Lymphogranuloma venereum is usually only seen following sexual exposure in East and West Africa, India, parts of Southeast Asia, South America and the Caribbean.
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. These may include:
Why: usually suggest herpes simplex virus 1 or 2. Less common causes of genital ulcers include syphilis (primary chancre of treponema pallidum, chancroid (Haemophilus decreyi), donovanosis (granulomona inguinale due to calymmatobacterium granulomatis) and lymphogranuloma venereum (due to Chlamydia trachomatis).
Why: may be genital warts due to infection with human papilloma virus (HPV), molluscum contagiosum due to infection with the pox virus, scabies burrows due to infestation by the scabies mite or Bartholin's gland infection or abscess. Less common causes of genital lumps are secondary syphilis (condyloma lata of treponema pallidum.
Why: e.g. with the first attack there is a tingling or burning feeling in the genital area, then a crop of small vesicles appear and then burst after 24 hours to leave small red painful ulcers which then form scabs and heal. The glands in the groin can become swollen and tender and the person may feel unwell and have a fever. May have difficulty or pain with passing urine. With recurrent attacks, symptoms usually become milder.
Why: e.g. red, tender swelling within the posterior (back part) of the labia majora (the large rounded fold surrounding the vagina). May be due to non-sexually transmitted infection with E.Coli or Staphylococci bacteria; or a sexually transmitted infection with gonorrhea.
Why: e.g. urethritis (painful urination with penile discharge), conjunctivitis (red painful eyes) and painful peripheral joints. Lesions on palms, soles, penis and mouth. 90% of those affected are male.
Why: e.g. dull red patches with central blisters that look like targets and may affect hands, feet, face, elbow, knees, penis, vulva, lips and mouth. May also have a fever and malaise. Often follows infections with either herpes simplex or mycoplasma or taking certain medications.
Why: e.g. recurrent oral ulcers, recurrent genital ulcers, eye inflammation, painful nodules on arms and legs.
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