Etiology, clinical medicine and differential characteristics of non-gonococcal urethritis
Hernández Aguado, I.; Alvarez-Dardet, C.; Rodríguez Pichardo, A.; de Miguel, C.; Dwyer, R.; Camacho, F.; Perea, E.J.
Medicina Clinica 83(20): 829-831
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-7753 PMID: 6527584 Document Number: 231993
A series of 150 patients is described with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) diagnosed in the Center for the Diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Diseases of the Medical School of Seville, Spain. The patients mean age was 27.6 yr (s = 6.98); 12% were homosexual and 6.6% had acquired the infection after contact with prostitutes. The most frequent symptom was mucous secretion (86%) followed by dysuria (50.66%) and purulent secretion (9.33%). Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated in 41 patients (27.33%), Ureaplasma urealyticum in 55 (36.66%), both agents in 12 (8%), and no etiological diagnosis could be reached in 42 patients (28%). Epididymitis was the only complication noted in 6 cases, (4.6%). All patients were treated with doxycycline (100 mg every 12 h) for 10 days. The effectiveness of this treatment could be evaluated in 98 patients: the response was excellent in cases due to C. trachomatis (100%), not so good in cases due to U. urealyticum (87%), and poor in cases where no agent could be isolated (55%). Comparing these cases of a series of gonococcal urethritis previously described, several differential characteristics were found. Gonococcal urethritis was associated with homosexuality, contact with prostitutes and with the presence of several sexually transmitted diseases, while NGU was associated with treatment before the diagnosis was made and with the presence of symptoms for > 1 wk before attending the consult.