Nodal donovanosis, a signal to HIV infection

Donovanosis [granuloma inguinale] is caused by Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, a Gram-negative, facultative, obligate, intracellular, pleomorphic bacterium that is phylogenetically most closely related to and placed within the Klebsiella genus. Categorized as a cause of genital ulcer disease, it typically forms painless, beefy red genital ulcers with raised margins and a friable clean base.

Auto-inoculation, hematogenous spread and oral sex have been implicated in the pathogenesis of extragenital donovanosis that occurs in 3-6% of patients,mainly in the lip, gums, cheek, palate, pharynx, neck, nose, larynx, chest,bone and liver. Lymph node involvement by C. granulomatosis is documented rarely in the literature, mainly as case reports in the pre-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) era. Notwithstanding these contributions to the global literature, to date, extragenital donovanosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is documented very rarely. Read more..................