Lymphogranuloma venereum: review of clinical manifestations, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) continues to be a rare disease in the Scandinavian countries; cases are, with rare exceptions, contracted elsewhere. The clinical manifestations of LGV include extragenital infections such as pharyngitis, with cervical lymphadenopathy, and proctitis. Delayed diagnosis can lead to late complications, with disabling anatomic defects as an end result. Diagnosis usually is based on clinical grounds, with serological confirmation. Other chlamydial infections besides LGV can cause seroconversion, particularly in tests for complement-fixation antibodies. Treatment with tetracyclines is effective to eradicate the causative agent, provided that the treatment course is of adequate length. Only rarely is surgical intervention needed, and then primarily to correct anatomic abnormalities in far-advanced cases.