These are the typical characteristics of a primary syphilis chancre. The lesion tends to be indolent and "punched out"; the rim is indurated. To appreciate the consistency of the chancre’s rim, touch your nose with a gloved finger – this approximates the feel of a typical chancre. (Never touch lesions of infectious syphilis, primary or secondary, without gloves!). Chancres tend to be painless, but slightly tender upon palpation. The lesion is generally "clean" in appearance; there is serous fluid present, but no blood or exudate unless secondary infection is present. The blood in the previous picture may represent an overly vigorous scraping for dark field examination.