Chancroid in El Salvador. Increasing incidence, clinical features, and therapeutics.

Ninety-five cases of chancroid were studied during a 6-month period in a dermatologic service in San Salvador; 88 (92.6%) were men and 7 (7.4%) were women, with a ratio of 12.5:1. The minimum age was 13 years and the maximum 46, with an average of 21 years. In most of the cases (81.05%), the incubation period varied from 1 to 7 days. Very painful adenopathies, enough to make walking difficult, were a striking feature in 69 cases (72.6%). Treatment was curative in all cases, except two, who received treatment with co-trifamole (sulfatrifamole 400 mg/trimethoprim 80 mg). In two cases in which it was not possible to use co-moxole (allergy, pregnancy), treatment was also curative using erythromycin.