Thiamphenicol in the treatment of chancroid in men.

Thiamphenicol was used to treat 547 men with chancroid. An oral dose of 2.5g was given on the first day and a further dose of 1.25g a week later if the lesions had not healed. Eighty-seven (15.9%) patients defaulted from follow up and 23 (4.2%) had positive serological test results for syphilis. Of the remaining 437 patients, 27 (6.2%) failed to respond to treatment, 258 (59%) were cured after the single dose, and 152 (34.8%) required a second dose. The overall cure rate was 93.8%.