A syphilitic chancre is best described as which of the following?

A syphilitic chancre is best described as which of the following?

• A. It is a hard chancre that is the first manifestation of syphilis
• B. It is a soft, moist plaque on the lips
• C. It causes painful vesicular eruptions
• D. It occurs only on the palm

Answer: (A)

A chancre in primary syphilis is a single, hard, non-tender ulcer with indurated borders that appears at the site of inoculation a few weeks after exposure. It’s the initial lesion of the infection and often heals on its own within several weeks. The other descriptions don’t fit: a soft, moist lip plaque isn’t a chancre; painful vesicles point to herpes; and chancres are not limited to the palm. So the best description is a hard chancre that marks the first manifestation of syphilis.

A chancre in primary syphilis is a single, hard, non-tender ulcer with indurated borders that appears at the site of inoculation a few weeks after exposure. It’s the initial lesion of the infection and often heals on its own within several weeks. The other descriptions don’t fit: a soft, moist lip plaque isn’t a chancre; painful vesicles point to herpes; and chancres are not limited to the palm. So the best description is a hard chancre that marks the first manifestation of syphilis.