The subacute, indolent pathologic process of the inguinal lymphatic glands, usually ending in suppuration, designated as lymphogranulomatosis inguinalis, is of growing importance and is interesting not only to the dermatovenereologist but to the gynecologist and to the general surgeon.
Not only does the filtrable virus responsible for the condition cause in man the classic adenitis first reported by Durand, Nicolas and Favre1 in 1913, but the extension of the process to contiguous structures— perirectal lymphatic glands, perirectal and perineal cellular tissues—is today regarded as the cause of progressive rectal strictures (anorectal syndrome) and of chronic, ulcerative and fistulous processes of the female genitals, once considered as esthiomene.
Furthermore, recent experiments have proved the extraordinary affinity (tropism) of the virus for the nerve tissues. Its rapid diffusion, producing granulomatous lesions in different organs, supports the view that the real limits of the disease in human pathology are not yet known.