Genital herpes typically presents with which finding?

• A. Painful, vesicular lesions with an erythematous base on the genital area
• B. Painless ulcers on the genitals
• C. Vaginal discharge with no lesions
• D. Chronic itching without vesicles or ulcers

Answer: (A)

Genital herpes presents with painful, grouped vesicles on an erythematous base in the genital region. These vesicles often rupture to form shallow, painful ulcers and are usually accompanied by significant tenderness; systemic symptoms like fever or malaise can accompany the primary episode, and recurrences are common due to reactivation of latent virus. This contrasts with painless genital ulcers seen in primary syphilis, discharge without lesions seen in infections like gonorrhea or trichomoniasis, or itching without vesicles seen in other dermatologic or candidal conditions.