A Clinical Profile of Donovanosis in a Non-Endemic Area

Abstract

The diagnosis of donovanosis is seldom made in a non-endemic region, because it is usually overlooked as an aetiologic diagnosis of genital ulcers. Clinical suspicion is a yardstick in its diagnosis and has been illustrated in the present study. Its frequency was found to be 3.14% of all sexually transmitted diseases. Unmarried males of vulnerable sexual age were commonly affected. They came from a low socioeconomic strata. The incubation period and duration of disease was variable. The genitalia were primarily affected. The ulcerogranulomatous variety was seen commonly, though unusual expression of the disease was also recorded. The importance of repeated tissue smears and/or histopathology in certain clinical variants is emphasized.

Transepithelial elimination of cutaneous vulval granuloma inguinale

“…47 Following exposure of traumatised skin of the genitalia to Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, colonisation and infection occur after a variable incubation period of several days to months. 48,49 Papular, nodular and ulcerative forms of the disease are the commoner clinical mucosal or cutaneous lesions. With ulceration variable, including exuberant, granulation tissue formation is de-scribed.…”

Characterization of Circulating Lymphocytes by Monoclonal Antibodies in Donovanosis

“…The diagnosis of donovanosis was made in 65 patients on the basis of characteristic clinical features (1,6), and by demonstration of intracytoplasmic Donovan bodies in the Giemsa stained tissue smears (6). It was substantiated by specific histopathology (7) and slow (overnight) Giemsa stained tissue sections (8).…”

Tissue Section Donovan Bodies – Identification through Slow-Giemsa (Overnight) Technique

“…Diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical features [2] and by demonstration of intramononuclear Donovan bodies in tissue smears. In 12 patients, although the clinical features were fairly characteristic, yet they were nega tive for Donovan bodies in Giemsa-stained tissue smears.…”

“…Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, a ge nus of pleomorphic gram-negative bacteria, is responsible for causing donovanosis [1], The disease is recognised through the characteristic clinical expression [2], Its con firmation, however, is possible only through the demonstration of intramononuclear Donovan bodies either in the tissue smear and/or tissue section [3]. For the former several stains, namely methylene blue [4], Romanowski's [4], Leishman [5], Giemsa [6] and Wright's [7] have been used with uni formly good results.…”