Genital Herpes: Or something else? Differential Diagnosis

Skin and subcutaneous (L00-L99).

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).

  • Herpes zoster (shingles)
  • Lymphogranuloma venereum – disease transmitted by serotypes L1-L3 of the bacterial species Chlamydia trachomatis and belongs to the sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Primary effect in syphilis: begins as a papule (coarse millet-sized lump); from this arises the ulcus durum ((German: Harter Schanker, obsolete also Chanker); this has a sharp separated wall-like edge and slightly sunken center
  • Trichomoniasis – venereal disease that affects mainly the urinary tract (urethra and urinary bladder).
  • Ulcus molle – disease caused by the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi (gram-negative rods) and belongs to the sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Varicella (chickenpox)

Mouth, esophagus (esophagus), stomach, and intestines (K00-K67; K90-K93).

  • Bacterial proctitis (rectal inflammation).

Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).

  • Behçet’s disease (synonym: Adamantiades-Behçet’s disease; Behçet’s disease; Behçet’s aphthae) – multisystem disease of the rheumatic type associated with recurrent, chronic vasculitis (vascular inflammation) of the small and large arteries and mucosal inflammation; The triad (the occurrence of three symptoms) of aphthae (painful, erosive mucosal lesions) in the mouth and aphthous genital ulcers (ulcers in the genital region), as well as uveitis (inflammation of the middle eye skin, which consists of the choroid (choroid), the corpus ciliary (corpus ciliare) and the iris) is stated as typical for the disease; a defect in cellular immunity is suspected

Pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium (O00-O99).

  • Herpes gestationis – very rare skin disease that occurs only during pregnancy and belongs to the group of diseases known as “pemphigoid”; despite the similar name, it is not a viral disease, as in genital herpes, but an immune disease.

Genitourinary system (kidneys, urinary tract – sex organs) (N00-N99).

  • Bacterial urethritis (inflammation of the urethra).
  • Balanitis (acorn inflammation)
  • Recurrent cystitis – recurrent cystitis.
  • Vulvitis – inflammation of the vulva (external primary female sex organs).
  • Vulvitis pustulosa – vulva infection caused by fungi.