Genital ulceration in males at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, Pretoria

One hundred previously untreated Black male patients presenting with genital ulceration were seen as outpatients at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, Pretoria. Syphilis was the commonest cause of ulceration, being present alone in 33% of patients. Chancroid occurred almost as frequently, being found alone in 28% of cases. A double infection with both syphilis and chancroid occurred in a further 16%. Herpes genitalis was found alone in 4% and together with chancroid in 1%. One patient was found to have granuloma inguinale and another had lymphogranuloma venereum. In 16% of the patients no cause for the ulcerations could be found.