Treatment of Chancroid with Erythromycin

Abstract

Chancroid (Haemophilus ducreyi) is a sexually transmitted disease that is not often recognized in the USA. It is traditionally treated with sulfonamides and/or tetracyclines. Recently, 14 active-duty USA Army personnel who acquired chancroid in the Far East were seen at a medical center in Tacoma, Washington. All of the organisms were isolated from clinical material on solid media without the use of a blood-clot tube. Because of dissatisfaction with conventional treatment and the demonstration of in vitro sensitivity of the organism to erythromycin, 7 of the last 8 patients were treated with erythromycin. All patients treated with erythromycin had rapid and favorable responses and none suffered recurrences. Chancroid evidently is a relatively common disease in the Far East. The causative organism apparently can be isolated by most clinical microbiology laboratories with proper technique. Erythromycin is seemingly an effective drug in the treatment of chancroid.