Granuloma InguinaleGranuloma Inguinale – General InformationAlthough not many individuals are familiar with this particular medical condition (Granuloma Inguinale) it is a quite common disease. It has been established that the main way in which this medical condition is transmitted from one patient to another through sexual contact. Luckily, this medical condition is a quite rarely encountered among patients from the U.S. The cause of this medical condition - Granuloma Inguinale is the presence of a type of bacterium that is known as Calymmatobacterium granulomatis. There areas in which a lot more patients find out that they are suffering from this medical condition. The most common of them include Guyana, South-East India, New Guinea, and so on. A few cases have been reported in some regions of the U.S. (mainly in the South-East areas). Only 100 cases of individuals with this type of granuloma are reported in the U.S. each year. It is known that a patient can easily develop this medical condition if his or her sexual partner already has it. Although this medical condition is mostly transmitted through anal or vaginal intercourse, in some cases it can spread during other type of sexual activities (mostly oral sex). Studies have shown that twice more men develop this medical condition this year (compared to the number of females who are diagnosed with Granuloma Inguinale). The patients are generally aged between 25 and 45 years, as elderly individuals and children only seldom present this medical condition. In order to find out more information regarding this medical condition, we strongly advise you to seek professional help. You ought to contact your health care provider or go to the nearest medical setting (either a pharmaceutical location or a hospital).Granuloma Inguinale – SymptomsLike most other medical conditions, this disorder (Granuloma Inguinale) is known to trigger a set of symptoms and signs that enable the physician set the proper diagnosis. About half of the total number of infected individuals (both female patients and male patients) presents lesions (that are generally located in their anal area). The lesions can appear as beefy-red, small bumps. They can spread to the individual’s genitals. If the medical condition is not treated in time, the bumps can turn into far more severe complications known as granulation tissue. They appear as beefy-red (or sometimes velvety) raised nodules. Although they do not normally cause any pain, they easily bleed (even due to the slightest injury). If it is left untreated and unsupervised by an authorized health care provider, this medical condition can slowly spread to the individual’s genitals, causing irreparable damage. In the late stages of this medical condition, the patient will present tissue damage in his or her inguinal folds – the meeting area of the individual’s torso with his or her legs. If a patient suffers from Granuloma Inguinale, his or her genitals and the skin that surrounds that area present a mild to severe loss or change of skin color. Although in the early stages of this medical condition physicians find it challenging to distinguish this disorder from chancroid, the differences between these two medical conditions is easily made through thorough medical tests. The symptoms that we have listed in this chapter can be accompanied by other signs that have not been mentioned in this article. This is why you should refer to your personal health care provider as soon as possible whenever you develop any unpleasant or abnormal symptom. Treating a disorder in its early stages leads to higher success chances of the therapy.Granuloma Inguinale – TreatmentIf a patient develops genital lesions (similar to those that we have described in the previous chapter) that do not disappear in time, or if the lesions seem to spread to the areas near the individual’s genitals, he or she should seek immediate medical care. If you have recently had a sexual intercourse with an individual who is suspected to be suffering from this medical condition (Granuloma Inguinale) you should seek medical care as soon as you can. If a patient presents genital lesions, his or her health care provider will ask them to undergo a series of tests that will determine the proper diagnosis. The most common medical exams include punch biopsies or scrapings of the lesions and the culture of a sample from the damaged tissue (although not all medical settings have the necessary technology to perform this type of medical test). Thorough research has lead to the appearance of several therapy options that are effective in most cases of individuals who present Granuloma Inguinale. The most popular therapy method involves the intake of antibiotics, which have proven to be quite effective in the treatment against this medical disorder. Even if most prophylaxis courses last for about one month (after this time period, the lesions ought to have completely healed) in some cases the therapy can last longer (depending on the stage of the medical condition, of the age of the patient, of his or her general health condition and so on). After the antibiotic therapy is over, a follow-up medical (clinical) examination is vital, as the medical condition can reappear even if the therapy seems to be successful. If the patient who suffers from Granuloma Inguinale becomes aware of his or her condition in time and receives a proper therapy in the early stages decreases the individual’s chances of experiencing severe and irreparable tissue destruction (which can be accompanied by severe scarring). If the disorder is not treated in time, it can trigger severe complications that can include permanent swelling of the individual’s genitals (a symptom that is due to scarring), loss of color of the skin in the genital area, genital scarring and tissue destruction. After the lesions have been healed, some patients choose to undergo surgical corrections of their genital swellings. Safe sex and abstinence are the best ways to prevent the development of this medical condition (Granuloma Inguinale) and of various other disorders. Ask your personal physician for more information. A gynecologist should be contacted at once. He or she will be more than happy to provide you with the best ways in which you can avoid becoming infected with a sexually transmittable medical condition. |
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