Incidence of chancroid in Vienna from 1980 to 1988

The authors report on a retrospective study of the occurrence of chancroid in the city of Vienna during the past 10 years. After identifying two patients at the authors' department with chancroid in March 1988, the authors investigated the frequency with which this disease presented during the last 10 years. Of 32 patients, six presented between 1977 and 1980, and one patient in 1987. The remaining 25 patients were diagnosed within a 4-month period in 1981, suggesting a limited outbreak. The source of this infection could be traced to Turkey; infected prostitutes contributed to further spread in Vienna. All patients were treated successfully with sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. Efficient control of this outbreak can be attributed to inpatient treatment of the prostitutes. Appropriate and timely treatment must be preceeded by careful and exact diagnosis of this disease whose clinical picture is constantly diverging from its classical form.