[Lymphogranuloma venereum proctocolitis in men with HIV-1 infection]

Abstract

Introduction: We present a series of 15 cases with lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) with the aim of evaluating the response to a 21-day oral course of doxycycline (100mg twice daily).

Patients and methods: It is an observational study where we describe a series of cases with LGV diagnosed in the Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol's HIV Unit between March 2008 and April 2009.

Results: All our patients were HIV infected men who had sex with men with proctitis in 80% of the cases. In all of them Chlamydia trachomatis was determined by PCR on rectal swab specimens, with a negative result after 21 days of treatment with doxycycline. Serovar L2 was confirmed in all the specimens with the reverse hybridization technique.

Discussion: A high index of clinical suspicion is the mainstay to the early diagnosis of LGV since the clinical presentation remains unspecific. The treatment with doxycycline eradicates C. trachomatis in HIV patients with LGV.