title: A microbiological study of genital ulcers in Kuala Lumpur.
abstract: The microbial aetiology of genital ulcers was studied in 249 patients (241 men and 8 women) attending a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Herpes simplex virus type 2 was isolated in 48 (19.2%) patients, Haemophilus ducreyi from 22 (8.8%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae from seven (2.8%) and Chlamydia trachomatis from four (1.6%). Syphilis was diagnosed in 18 (7.2%) patients on the basis of dark field microscopy. Two (0.8%) patients were found to have both chancroid and syphilis and one (0.5%) had both gonorrhoea and syphilis. No organism was isolated in the remaining 151 (61.5%) patients. Overall, the accuracy of clinical diagnosis was 58% for single infection, 67% for herpes, 63% for syphilis, 47% for chancroid and 0% for lymphogranuloma venereum. Therefore, our study confirms the need for laboratory tests to diagnose accurately the aetiology of genital ulcer disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zainah
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinniah
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akbal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000382:microbiology*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000382:microbiology*; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014456:Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology