Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a serious sexually transmitted infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. If left untreated LGV can cause irreversible late sequelae. LGV is endemic among a high-risk population of men who have sex with men (MSM), and largely reported in Western metropoles.
RECENT FINDINGS: Although the majority of LGV patients are HIV positive, in recent years the proportion of HIV-negative MSM with LGV is rising. This could indicate a shift toward lower risk populations. Apart from a few European countries, no proper LGV surveillance efforts have been implemented so far. Moreover, a considerable proportion of the infections are asymptomatic. As a result, the true magnitude of the LGV epidemic is underestimated.Depending on the stage and location of infection, LGV manifests in a variety of clinical presentations. Among MSM, anorectal infections are overreported as opposed to genital LGV infections in a ratio of 15 to 1, respectively. Therefore, other modes of transmission apart from anal sex are here discussed.
SUMMARY: To improve surveillance, cheaper and more practical screening methods are needed. Moreover, randomized clinical trials are needed to evaluate more simple treatment modalities as opposed to the currently recommended 3-week course of doxycycline.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 43-50 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Current opinion in infectious diseases |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2019 |
Keywords
- Communicable Diseases, Emerging/epidemiology
- Humans
- Lymphogranuloma Venereum/epidemiology
- Population Surveillance
- Western World