Gentian violet has antibacterial, antifungal, antihelminthic, antitrypanosomal, antiangiogenic, and antitumor properties. It is used medically for these properties, in particular for dentistry, and is also known as "pyoctanin" (or "pyoctanine"). It is commonly used for:
* Marking the skin for surgery preparation and allergy testing;
* Treating Candida albicans and related fungal infections, such as thrush, yeast infections, various types of tinea (ringworm, athlete's foot, jock itch);
* Treating impetigo; it was used primarily before the advent of antibiotics, but still useful to persons who may be allergic to penicillin.
In resource-limited settings, gentian violet is used to manage burn wounds, inflammation of the umbilical cord stump (omphalitis) in the neonatal period, oral candidiasis in HIV-infected patients and mouth ulcers in children with measles.