In October 2016, an adolescent boy sought care for acute genital ulceration in Cologne, Germany. We presumed a sexually transmitted infection, but initial diagnostic procedures yielded negative results. He was hospitalized because swab samples from the lesion grew toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae, leading to the diagnosis of possibly sexually transmitted cutaneous diphtheria.
Keywords: Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Ethiopia; Germany; Sexually transmitted infections; bacteria; child refugee; cutaneous diphtheria; genital ulcer disease; sexually transmitted diseases.