Lymphogranuloma venereum: an update

Lymphogranuloma venereum ( LGV ) is a classical sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L (L1,L2 and L3).Clinically,LGV mainly manifests as chronic genital ulceration,inguinal lymphadenopathy or anogenitorectal syndrome.Cases of LGV have been sporadiclly reported in China.Recently outbreaks of LGV have been observed among men who have sex with men (MSM) in European countries and the United States,and the predominant LGV strain was Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2b.LGV among MSM usually manifests as asymptomatic proctitis complicated by other STDs and blood-borne diseases including HIV infection,and is associated with having multiple sex partners or high risk behavior.Molecular techniques play an important role in the diagnosis and confirmation of LGV. Key words: Lymphogranuloma venereum;  Epidemiology;  Laboratory techniques and procedures