Nongonococcal Urethritis
A Clinical Review
- Yehudi M. Felman, MD, MA, MPhil, FACP;
- James A. Nikitas, MA, FRSH
- From the Bureau of Venereal Disease Control, New York City Health Department (Dr Felman and Mr Nikitas); the Departments of Dermatology and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, State University of New York, Downstate Medical School, Brooklyn, NY (Dr Felman); and the Department of Dermatology, Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York Medical College, New York (Mr Nikitas).
Abstract
The rising incidence of nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) and the risk of potential complications attributed to chlamydial carriage are of great concern to public health officials. Recognition of Chlamydia trachomatis as a serious, sexually transmitted pathogen has come more recently, and this agent may be responsible for many cases of epididymitis, prostatitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, Reiter's syndrome, infant pneumonia, and possibly other complications. This review describes the clinical manifestations of NGU compared with gonococcal urethritis and the means of diagnosis and management in the patient and his sexual partners. The chlamydial etiology of NGU and other possible etiologies are also discussed.
(JAMA 1981;245:381-386)
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Department of Health, Bureau of Venereal Disease Control, 93 Worth St, Room 806, New York, NY 10013 (Dr Felman).
