Scarring and local tissue destruction is the rule with stricture, fistula formation, and deformation of genitalia. Complete bowel obstruction from rectal stricture is possible. Systemic spread occasionally can result in arthritis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, or rarely perihepatitis. Rare systemic complications include pulmonary infection, cardiac involvement, aseptic meningitis, and ocular inflammatory disease. However, late complications can cause significant morbidity.
Infection confers little or no protective immunity.
Refer sexual contacts for evaluation and possible treatment. Encourage safe sex. The use of broad spectrum antibiotics to replace an accurate differential diagnosis and focused treatment should be discouraged. The diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum may be easily missed in women and homosexual males because they tend not to present with the classic inguinal lymphadenopathy. Careful diagnostic consideration should be used in these patient populations.