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The primary lesion of syphilis, which begins at the site of cutaneous or mucosal infection after an interval of 10–30 days as a papule or area of infiltration, of dull red color, hard, and insensitive; the center usually becomes eroded or breaks down into an ulcer that heals slowly after 4–6 weeks. Finding Treponema pallidum on dark-field examination is diagnostic, except in oral ulcers, in which T. microdentium is normally present. SYN: hard c., hard sore, hard ulcer, syphilitic ulcer (1). [Fr. indirectly from L. cancer]
- hard c. SYN: c..
- c. redux a second c. occurring in a syphilitic subject, possibly an allergic reaction without the presence of the specific spirochete.
- soft c. SYN: chancroid.
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chan·cre 'shaŋ-kər n a primary sore or ulcer at the site of entry of a pathogen (as in tularemia) esp the initial lesion of syphilis
chan·crous -k(ə-)rəs adj
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n.
a painless ulcer that develops at the site where infection enters the body, e.g. on the lips, penis, urethra, or eyelid. It is the primary symptom of such infections as sleeping sickness and syphilis.
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chan·cre (shangґkər) [Fr. for “canker,†a destructive sore, from L. cancer crab] 1. the usually painless primary lesion of syphilis, occurring at the site of entry of the infection, typically a small red papule or crusted erosion that breaks down to become round, hard, and elevated with an eroded surface that exudes serous fluid; it later gives rise to a bubo (regional lymphadenitis) and heals without scarring. Called also hard c. 2. any of various primary cutaneous lesions that are seen at the site of inoculation of infection in such diseases as herpes, sporotrichosis, trypanosomiasis, tuberculosis, and tularemia. chancrous adjMedical dictionary. 2011.