The limphogranuloma venerum is a sexually transmittable disease. It is an infection affecting the lymph nodes and it infects the lymphatic system too. Of course, the infection is caused by bacteria. The name of those bacteria is Chlamydia Trachomatis. These bacteria enter the human organism if they can find a break in the skin.



The virus is capable of crossing the epithelial cell layer if it gets into a mucous membrane. When the bacteria enter the skin, it will little by little set off for the lymphatic channels and multiply as soon as it is lodged there. This is not a very common illness, particularly in Europe. Majority of the people who are infected by the bacteria are already suffering from the HIV AIDS.

Three hundred forty one people have been infected with the bacteria in the United Kingdom since 2004 while 80 cases were reported in the United States. However, because it is not easy to diagnose the disease, the actual number of people infected could be higher. The disease is commonly transmitted through sexual contact. If contamination is made through sexual contact, the symptoms will appear at the skin level of the genital area.

Once infected, abscesses will be formed in the genital area, specifically in the lymph nodes. If the bacterium enters the human body through the rectum, then buboes will develop there. Here, the contamination is usually acquired through anal sexual contact. It might also affect the throat, but rarely. In such case, the abscess will appear in the neck area.

Symptoms in the early stage are not so acute. Minor ulcerations, which are painless, might develop in the genital area. Especially in women, the symptoms may not be so obvious as the ulceration might appear in the vaginal walls.

This disease is characterized by the enlargement of the lymph nodes, which at first can be painful. The areas where the lymph nodes are located can also be the area where the infection localizes, which causes the inflammation as well as thinning of the skin.

The next stage of the disease could be formation of abscesses, strictures, fistulas, and necrosis, among others. If the illness is diagnosed and treated promptly, the disease could be completely healed. However, if after the second stage and the disease are still not treated, then development continues. The third stage can cause an increase in the interstitial liquid of the organs and fibrosis, which are the irreversible effects of the bacteria.