Chancroid vs. Chancre — What's the Difference?

Chancroid ( SHANG-kroyd) is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection characterized by painful sores on the genitalia. Chancroid is known to spread from one individual to another solely through sexual contact.

A chancre ( SHANG-kər) is a painless genital ulcer most commonly formed during the primary stage of syphilis. This infectious lesion forms approximately 21 days after the initial exposure to Treponema pallidum, the gram-negative spirochaete bacterium yielding syphilis.

A soft, venereal, highly infectious ulcer of the genital region, caused by the bacterium Hemophilus ducreyi. Also called soft chancre.

A dull red, hard, insensitive lesion that is the first manifestation of syphilis.

(pathology) A sexually transmitted infection, caused by bacteria of species Haemophilus ducreyi, characterized by painful sores on the genitalia.

An ulcer located at the initial point of entry of a pathogen.

A sore characteristic of this infection.

(pathology) Skin lesion, sometimes associated with certain contagious diseases such as syphilis.

A venereal sore, resembling a chancre in its seat and some external characters, but differing from it in being the starting point of a purely local process and never of a systemic disease; - called also soft chancre.

A venereal sore or ulcer; specifically, the initial lesion of true syphilis, whether forming a distinct ulcer or not; - called also hard chancre, indurated chancre, and Hunterian chancre.

Infectious venereal ulcer

A small hard painless nodule at the site of entry of a pathogen (as syphilis)