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Linfogranuloma venéreo

  • Overview
  • Theory
  • Diagnosis
  • Management
  • Follow up
  • Resources
Last reviewed: 15 Jul 2025
Last updated: 11 Mar 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presença de fatores de risco
  • linfadenopatia inguinal
  • sintomas inespecíficos de proctocolite
  • sinal de sulco de Greenblatt
  • elefantíase genital, pênis saxofone, estiomene
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • febre, mal-estar, artralgias
  • dor na parte inferior do abdome ou lombalgia
  • úlcera genital ou anal
  • sintomas inespecíficos de disseminação bacterêmica
  • eritema nodoso
  • tratos sinusais anogenitais, estenoses ou fístulas
Full details

Risk factors

  • outras ISTs
  • comportamento sexual de risco
  • soropositividade do vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV)
  • idade (entre 20 e 40 anos)
  • relação sexual sem proteção em uma área endêmica para LGV
  • sexo masculino
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • amostras genitais ou de linfonodos para o teste de amplificação de ácido nucleico (NAAT)
  • swab via anoscopia para coloração de Gram
  • fluido ou swab para testes moleculares específicos para LGV
  • Testes para IST
Full details

Tests to consider

  • endoscopia com histopatologia
  • soro para fixação de complemento
  • soro para microimunofluorescência (MIF)
  • tomografia computadorizada (TC) do abdome e pelve
  • ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) do abdome e pelve
  • fluido ou swab para cultura
Full details

Emerging tests

  • fluido ou swab para tipagem da variante genômica

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

adolescentes assintomáticos e pacientes adultos que tenham sido expostos a linfogranuloma venéreo (LGV)

ACUTE

todos os estágios do linfogranuloma venéreo (LGV)

Contributors

Authors

Benjamin D. Lorenz, MD

Assistant Professor

Division of Hospital Medicine

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Washington

DC

Disclosures

BDL declares that he has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Benjamin D. Lorenz would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Mettassebia Kanno, a previous contributor to this topic.

Disclosures

MK declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Cees van Nieuwkoop, MD

Department of General Internal Medicine

Leiden University Medical Centre

Leiden

The Netherlands

Disclosures

CvN declares that he has no competing interests.

David Chelmow, MD

Chair

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

VA

Disclosures

DC declares that he has no competing interests.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

de Vries HJC, de Barbeyrac B, de Vrieze NHN, et al. 2019 European guideline on the management of lymphogranuloma venereum. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2019 Jun 26;33(10):1821-8.Full text  Abstract

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lymphogranuloma venereum among men who have sex with men - Netherlands, 2003-2004. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2004 Oct 29;53(42):985-8.Full text  Abstract

Van der Bij AK, Spaargaren J, Morre SA, et al. Diagnostic and clinical implications of anorectal lymphogranuloma venereum in men who have sex with men: a retrospective case-control study. Clin Infect Dis. 2006 Jan 15;42(2):186-94.Full text  Abstract

Stamm WE. Lymphogranuloma venereum. In: Holmes KK, Sparling PF, Stamm WE, et al., eds. Sexually transmitted diseases. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2007:595-606.

Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al. Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021 Jul 23;70(4):1-187.Full text  Abstract

Mabey D, Peeling RW. Lymphogranuloma venereum. Sex Transm Infect. 2002 Apr;78(2):90-2.Full text  Abstract

Thorsteinsson SB. Lymphogranuloma venereum: review of clinical manifestations, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl. 1982;32:127-31. Abstract

Annamuthodo H. Rectal lymphogranuloma venereum in Jamaica. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1961 Sep;29:141-59.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
  • Linfogranuloma venéreo images

  • Differentials

    • Sífilis (Treponema pallidum)
    • Proctite gonocócica
    • Herpes genital (HSV)
    More Differentials

  • Guidelines

    • BASHH summary guidance on testing for sexually transmitted infections, 2023
    • Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021
    More Guidelines

  • Patient information

    Clamídia

    More Patient information
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