[Endoscopic treatment of complete obliteration of posterior urethra]

The authors shared their experience in regard of treatment of complete urethral obliteration. In a 14-year they diagnosed and treated 37 patients (aged 22-74 years) with obstruction of the lower urinary tract as a result of complete urethral obliteration. The etiology include 14 patients after perineal urethral trauma, in 10 patients the main cause was urethral inflammation of posterior urethra, in 8--as a consequence of transurethral surgery and in 5--after suprapubic prostatectomy. Main diagnostic methods they used were retrograde urethrography and urethroscopy with 0 degree fiberoptic. In all patients an endoscopic incision of fibrotic tissue was carried out thus the entering the bladder cavity was successful. In some patients operative technique with a Benique through cystostomy cannel and bladder neck just opposite to the urethrotome knife was used. In three patients (8.2%) the procedure failed due to the massive urethral hemorrhage. They report recurrent urethral strictures in 24 patients (64.8%), treated with visual urethrotomy. The continence was compromised in 6 patients (16.2%).

[A case of acute spongiositis with diabetes mellitus]

We report a case of acute spongiositis with diabetes mellitus. A 63-year-old man with a 7-year history of diabetes mellitus was admitted to our hospital complaining of perineal pain and pyrexia. Physical examinations revealed induration and tenderness of the corpus spongiosum, but no signs of rubor or erosion. A laboratory investigation showed leukocytosis (12,000/microliter), an elevated level of C-reactive protein (3.38 mg/dl) and hyperglycemia (532 mg/dl). Pyuria and bacteriuria were absent. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) yielded abscess-like lesion of the corpus spongiosum. Culture of the aspirated specimen demonstrated B-hemolytic streptococci. Treatment with antibiotics and insulin resolved leukocytosis and tenderness of corpus spongiosum. He left the hospital on the 23rd day after admission and no evidence of recurrence of the spongiositis was found for 1 year after discharge.

The effects of antiretroviral therapy on HIV-1 RNA loads in seminal plasma in HIV-positive patients with and without urethritis

BACKGROUND

High seminal plasma HIV-1 RNA loads (SVL) have been reported during gonococcal, non-gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis in patients not taking antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To examine if urethritis leads to increased SVL in HIV-positive patients taking antiretroviral therapy.

METHODS

Men who had been taking therapy for at least 3 months were recruited: 24 had urethitis (PWU) and 16 were without urethritis (controls). At three visits, 1 week apart, blood plasma viral load (BVL) and SVL were assayed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction or the NASBA assay.

RESULTS

Most subjects had undetectable SVL (18 PWU, 13 controls). Among those with undetectable BVL prior to first study visit, virus was undetectable in semen in 5/5 episodes of chlamydial urethritis, 6/7 episodes of non-gonococcal urethritis and 4/5 cases of gonococcal urethritis. Two PWU with undetectable BVL just prior to the first study visit had low to moderate SVL, which became undetectable by visit 2 following treatment. Of nine subjects with detectable SVL, eight had detectable BVL (3/3 controls and 5/6 PWU). Of these, 1/3 controls and 4/5 PWU (all with gonococcal urethritis) had poorly controlled BVL just prior to the first study visit. These four PWU had high SVL and one had higher levels in semen than in blood. This patient's SVL was reduced more than 20-fold following treatment for gonococcal urethritis.

CONCLUSIONS

Effective antiretroviral therapy appeared to limit the effect of urethritis on SVL. When BVL was poorly controlled by antiretroviral therapy, high SVL occurred during gonococcal urethritis, increasing the potential risk of transmitting both wild type and drug resistant strains of HIV-1.

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Turkey among men With urethritis

BACKGROUND

Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are known to cause urethritis. However, only a small number of studies in Eastern European countries have investigated the causes of urethritis.

GOALS

To determine the prevalence of C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae among men with symptomatic urethritis in Istanbul, Turkey, and to determine whether contact with a commercial sex worker increased the likelihood of chlamydial infections.

STUDY DESIGN

Men with a diagnosis of urethritis at the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine were screened for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae by Abbott's ligase chain reaction (LCR) using either urethral swabs or first-void urine. N gonorrhoeae cultures were done on a subset of these patients.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 813 men. All of the men denied condom use during their previous sexual exposures. The overall prevalence of C trachomatis, as determined by LCR, was 15.7%. Only 192 patients were screened for both organisms. N gonorrhoeae prevalence was 9.4%. There was no difference in the chlamydia prevalence between men who had contact with commercial sex workers (CSWs) and men who had no such contact (15.3% versus 17.2%). However, clients of foreign CSWs were more likely to have chlamydia than clients of registered Turkish CSWs.

CONCLUSIONS

C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae are commonly found in Turkish men with urethritis. The findings did not show more chlamydial infection among men who had contact with CSWs than among men who had no such contact. The failure to use condoms among these men must be addressed.

EAU guidelines for the management of urinary and male genital tract infections. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Working Group of the Health Care Office (HCO) of the European Association of Urology (EAU)

A short version of the UTI Guidelines elaborated by the Urinary Tract Infection Working Group of the Health Care Office of the European Association of Urology is presented. The topics include classification, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of uncomplicated UTI, UTI in children, UTI in diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, renal transplant recipients and immunosuppression, complicated UTI due to urological disorders, sepsis syndrome, urosepsis, urethritis, prostatitis, epididymitis, orchitis and principles of perioperative prophylaxis in urology.

Urethritis associated with Chlamydia trachomatis: comparison of leukocyte esterase dipstick test of first-voided urine and methylene blue-stained urethral smear as predictors of chlamydial infection

The use of nucleic acid amplification tests for the diagnosis of C. trachomatis has made it possible to send urine samples instead of urethral swab specimens to the laboratory. The sensitivity is very high, but not 100%, and we continue to perform a test for urethritis at our STD clinic. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of two alternative tests in the diagnosis of urethritis as predictors of C. trachomatis infection: the leukocyte esterase (LE) dipstick test of first-voided urine and polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts in a methylene blue-stained (MBS) urethral smear. Urine samples from 480 male patients attending an STD clinic were analysed using the LE test and LCR assay for C. trachomatis; urethral samples were analysed with MBS urethral smear and LCR. The majority (75.8%) of the 480 patients examined were asymptomatic. Chlamydial infection was detected in 50 patients. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the LE test for predicting C. trachomatis infection were 46.0, 91.6 and 39.0%, respectively, among all patients examined and 25.9, 95.8 and 33.3%, respectively, among the asymptomatic patients. The corresponding values for the MBS urethral smear were 76.0, 82.1 and 33.0% among all patients and 63.0, 89.6 and 32.7% among the asymptomatic patients. At our STD clinic we chose to perform the examination of MBS urethral smears in the diagnosis of urethritis because of its higher sensitivity relative to the LE test for predicting C. trachomatis.

Acute urinary retention secondary to urethral inflammation from a vaginal contraceptive suppository in a 17-year-old boy

We report the case of a 17-year-old boy who developed acute urinary retention following unprotected intercourse. His partner employed for the first time a nonoxynol-9-based commercial vaginal contraceptive insert. During intercourse the patient felt severe burning pain in the urethra. He was subsequently unable to void. Flexible cystourethroscopy revealed gross mucosal erythema and inflammation in the distal urethra and navicular fossa. We discuss the clinical management and review relevant literature.

STD screening among HIV-infected patients in care, San Francisco

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons as a means of HIV prevention. HIV-infected persons in care may be an important target group in which to conduct regular STD screening to prevent enhanced transmission of HIV. We conducted STD screening for syphilis and two causes of urethritis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, among 447 HIV-infected persons at two busy, urban clinics in San Francisco: a general HIV acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) care clinic and a methadone maintenance clinic. There were no new cases of syphilis identified and only two prevalent cases of chlamydia. While STD screening was feasible and acceptable in this population, the benefits of screening for asymptomatic gonococcal and chlamydial infection remain to be determined. Because these two pathogens only cause about 20% of urethritis, broader screening tests for urethritis, e.g., leukocyte esterase or urine microscopy, may be more useful. Finally, this study reaffirms the notion that local data should be used to evaluate national screening recommendations.

Female urethral adenocarcinoma arising from urethritis glandularis

INTRODUCTION

Female urethral adenocarcinoma is extremely rare and more than one tissue of origin has been suggested other than the Skene's gland. Immunohistochemistry with cytokeratins (CK) 7 and 20 is used to define the origin of the tumor.

CASE REPORT

A 72-year-old woman presented with a 2-cm polypoid tumor at the external urethral meatus and bleeding. Wide local excision and bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy were performed. Postoperative convalescence was uneventful. It was a poorly differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma without direct urothelial involvement. There were focal areas of intestinal metaplasia. The tumor cells were positive for CK 7 and 20 and negative for prostate-specific antigen.

DISCUSSION

This case provides supportive evidence that mucinous urethral adenocarcinoma may arise from malignant transformation of urethritis glandularis.

The association of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium with non-gonococcal urethritis: observations on heterosexual men and their female partners

Our objectives were to study the distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium in men with or without non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) and their respective female partners. A case-control study was carried out to which men with or without NGU and their female partners were recruited. All study participants were tested for the presence of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium. An analysis firstly of the distribution of each of these microorganisms among men with or without urethritis and their respective female partners was carried out. Furthermore, we examined the association of each of these microorganisms and NGU when the other had been excluded. Chlamydia trachomatis was present in 14 (36%) of 39 men with NGU compared to none of 12 men without NGU (P=0.022). The prevalence rates for female partners of men with NGU were 10 (26%) of 39 compared to none of 12 partners of men without NGU (P=0.092). M. genitalium was detected in 12 (33%) of 36 men with NGU compared to 1 (9%) of men without NGU (not significant; P=0.147). The prevalence rates for female partners of men with NGU were 10 (32%) of 31 women compared to none of 7 partners of men without NGU (not significant; P=0.156). There was a greater concordance than discordance of carriage of each of the 2 microorganisms among the study couples and each tended to be carried independently of the other by men. Analysis of the association between the presence of C. trachomatis in men and NGU was significantly improved by the exclusion of men with M. genitalium (P=0.0058). Likewise, the association between the presence of M. genitalium in men and NGU was significantly improved by the exclusion of couples in whom either the man or woman was C. trachomatis-positive (P=0.049). The independent carriage of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium by men with NGU, coupled with the improved association between each pathogen and NGU by exclusion of the other provides support for the separate role of each in the aetiology of NGU.

[Treatment of inflammatory urethral stenosis with endoscopic urethrotomy]

Urethral stricture, mainly consisting of cases of inflammatory stricture, is a frequent occurrence in Morocco. Numerous techniques have been proposed to treat these disorders, including internal endoscopic urethrotomy (IEU). Initially described by Otis and Maisonneuve using a blind approach, IEU was then further developed by Saches who carried out direct vision urethrotomy. It rapidly became established as the method of choice for primary treatment of urethral stricture, and classical surgery was limited to those cases in which this method had failed. However, although this technique is relatively simple and appears to be efficient, there is in fact a high relapse rate, necessitating repeated IEU; therefore at present there is a tendency to return to the classical methods of anastomotic resection and urethroplasty after the second or third IEU. Although the relapse rate is low for short, single or bulbar strictures, it is high for penile strictures and for those with accompanying severe periurethral fibrosis. In this study, we have reported the results of a homogeneous series of 149 cases of urethral stricture treated by internal urethrotomy. The aim of this retrospective study was to better define the indications for adopting this technique, and also to determine the reasons for failure. The various alternatives to IEU (resection, plasty) have been examined, as has their respective failure rate.

Prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents

This review focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) encountered among adolescents in the U.S. and other developed countries. Included are new recommendations for the treatment of primary and recurrent genital herpes, management of pelvic inflammatory disease, and a revised approach to the care of adolescent victims of sexual assault. Diagnosis begins with a classification based on major clinical findings: genital ulcers with lymphadenitis, urethritis, vaginal discharge, pelvic inflammatory disease, and male STD syndromes. Appropriate laboratory evaluation for each of these clinical presentations is detailed and treatment options are summarized. Preventive interventions along with suggestions for an approach to the preadolescent well care visit, generally scheduled at age 11ñ12 years, are offered. Routine preventive therapy after a sexual assault takes into account difficulty in follow-up and the need to reassure adolescents and their families that all prophylaxis for possible infection has been provided.

Symptomatic and asymptomatic chlamydial non-gonococcal urethritis in Jamaica: the potential for HIV transmission

To determine the contribution of Chlamydia trachomatis to non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) in men attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in Jamaica we studied men with NGU (n=339), and control groups including asymptomatic men who were STD contacts (n=61), asymptomatic men who were not STD contacts (n=32) and men with gonococcal urethritis (GU) (n=61). Urethral specimens were examined for C. trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Serological tests for syphilis (STS) and HIV-1 infection were also performed. C. trachomatis accounted for 63% of cases of NGU but high prevalences were also found in asymptomatic STD contacts (59%), asymptomatic STD non-contacts (78%) and men with GU (48%). The prevalence of C. trachomatis in men with GU differed significantly from that in men with NGU and asymptomatic STD non-contacts (P<0.05). C. trachomatis infection in men with NGU was associated with multiple sex partners (71% vs 58%; chi2=4.78; odds ratio (OR)=1.76; P<0.05) and previous history of gonococcal infection (83% vs 42%; chi2=59.8; OR=6.8; P<0.0001). Concomitant infection with HIV-1 occurred in 5.2% of cases of NGU and 50% and 90%, respectively, of the HIV-positive men had chlamydia or reactive STS. As a cost effective strategy in the control of STD and HIV we recommend presumptive treatment for C. trachomatis in men seeking STD treatment in Jamaica.

Relevance of male accessory gland infection for subsequent fertility with special focus on prostatitis

Infections of the male genitourinary tract may contribute to infertility to a various extent depending on the site of inflammation. Especially in prostatitis, the exact classification of the infection contributes to its impact on changes in the ejaculate. Similarly, in urethritis, epididymitis and orchitis, only a clear clinical diagnosis allows a rational approach to altered sperm parameters. Several inflammatory and reactive alterations of sperm quality seem to be proven; nevertheless, the impact of these findings on male fertility remains in many cases unclear. Even therapeutic trials do not provide more insights into the association of male genital infections and impaired fertility, although the efficacy of antibiotic trials seems to be proven. For the future, it may be decisive to evaluate inflammatory changes in the ejaculate not only on the basis of standard but also on functional parameters, thus providing new definitions of the interactions between male urogenital tract infection and disturbances of male fertility.

Ankylosing spondylitis and genitourinary infection

One hundred and thirty-four male and 32 female patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 33 women with pure ileitis terminalis Crohn were examined. The study protocol included a medical-rheumatological examination and thorough investigation for genitourinary infection. Urethroadnexitis was found in 37/134 male patients (2 patients suffered from balanitis, 17 patients from urethritis, 18 patients from prostatitis, and 2 patients from epididymitis), 15/32 female patients (11 of them had urethritis and in 4 cases urethritis associated with vaginitis) and 5/33 women with ileitis terminalis (every case with urethritis). The microorganism isolated most frequently from patients with genitourinary infection was Chlamydia trachomatis. The majority of patients with genitourinary infection were HLA-B27 positive. Nevertheless, the following conclusions can be reached: (1) evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection is frequent in male and female patients with ankylosing spondylitis, (2) patients with genitourinary infection tend to have HLA-B27, and (3) furthermore, presence of genitourinary infection was not significantly associated with chronic illness.

Transmission of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae among men with urethritis and their female sex partners

Transmission of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae among infected men and their female sex partners was examined using a design enhancing the likelihood that spread was directed from men to women. Chlamydia culture-negative specimens were examined using DNA amplification tests. Infection rates in women exposed to male sex partners with Chlamydia only were 65% (20/31) and with gonorrhea only were 73% (33/45). Infection of women by either agent was not influenced by the number of sexual exposures to or coinfection in men. There was a 98% (40/41) concordance of N. gonorrhoeae isolates among partners by auxotype and serovar. Chlamydia isolates were serotyped using ELISA and immunofluorescence testing and confirmed by nested polymerase chain reaction: 50% (6/12) of men and 57% (8/14) of women yielded mixed serovars. Sixty-four percent of pairs (9/14) were infected with identical serovars and an additional 28% shared at least one serovar. Multiple serovars of C. trachomatis, but not of N. gonorrhoeae, were common in sex partners and exchanged frequently.

Urethral stricture at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria

We reviewed 556 male urethral strictures treated at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria between 1980 and 1989. Their ages ranged from nine to 80 years with a mean of 40 +/- 12.9 SD years. Infection caused stricture in 66.5% while trauma accounted for 31.7%. Urethral injury associated with pelvic fracture from road traffic accident accounted for 68% of the traumatic causes. Inflammatory strictures were mainly located in the bulbar urethra (69.9%), while most traumatic ones involved membranous urethra (74.4%). Inflammatory strictures were mostly multiple (85%) while 90% of traumatic ones were single. Many patients with inflammatory strictures had more than one episode of urethritis. About 58% of the patients were treated by dilatation, 16% by visual internal urethrotomy and 26% by urethroplasty. Best results were obtained in patients treated by urethroplasty where 72% were satisfied with their treatment. Overall, 61% of the patients were satisfied with their treatment and were voiding urine without effort at two years. Re-stricture occurred in 21% and 23% of patients treated by urethroplasty and internal urethrotomy respectively. Urethroplasty is advocated upon less strict indications where the expertise is available.

HIV-1 DNA shedding in genital ulcers and its associated risk factors in Pune, India

HIV infection status was determined in 302 consecutive patients with genital ulcer disease (GUD) presenting to two sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in Pune, India. Of the 71 (24%) individuals with HIV infection, 67 (94%) were HIV antibody-positive, and 4 (6%) were HIV antibody-negative but p24 antigen-positive at the time of presentation. HIV-1 DNA was detected in 24 (34%) specimens. The genital ulcers of all four acutely infected p24-antigenemic subjects were HIV-1 DNA-positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, compared with 20 of 67 (30%) seropositive patients (p = .01). Presence of chancroid, GUD symptoms for > 10 days, and concurrent diagnosis of cervicitis or urethritis were significantly associated risk factors for HIV-1 DNA shedding in ulcers. Early GUD diagnosis and aggressive treatment of HIV-infected patients may significantly reduce secondary transmission of HIV to other sex partners.

Association of CD4 cell depletion and elevated blood and seminal plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA concentrations with genital ulcer disease in HIV-1-infected men in Malawi

CD4 cell counts and blood plasma and seminal plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) concentrations were compared in HIV-1 RNA-seropositive men with urethritis and with or without genital ulcer disease (GUD). GUD was associated with lower CD4 cell counts (median, 258 vs. 348/microL) and increased blood plasma HIV-1 RNA (median, 240 x 10[3] vs. 79.4 x 10[3] copies/mL). Men with nongonococcal urethritis and GUD shed significantly greater quantities of HIV-1 in semen (median, 195 x 10[3] vs. 4.0 x 10[3] copies/mL) than men with nongonococcal urethritis without GUD. These levels decreased approximately 4-fold following antibiotic therapy. The results indicate an association between GUD and increased blood HIV-1 RNA levels. Increased HIV-1 in semen was demonstrated in some men with GUD; such an increase could lead to increased transmission, thus complicating interpretation of the role of the genital ulcer itself in the infectiousness of HIV. Reasons for increased HIV RNA in semen in men with GUD remain to be determined.

The 'watering-can' perineum: presentation and management

OBJECTIVES

To assess the frequency of 'watering-can' perineum among patients with post-inflammatory urethral strictures, to evaluate methods of anatomical location and to assess the efficacy of direct-vision internal urethrotomy (DVIU) in this condition.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1990 to 1996, 216 patients with post-inflammatory urethral strictures were evaluated; all underwent ascending urethrography and urethroscopy and 44 were found to have a 'watering-can' perineum. These patients were evaluated further for the presence of associated urethral pathology. e.g. calculi and diverticulae. DVIU was performed as the primary method of treatment and any associated urethral pathology treated at the same time. The follow-up ranged from 3 to 36 months (mean 20).

RESULTS

Ascending urethrography and urethroscopy located the site of the stricture in all 44 patients: 12 had associated urethral calculi. In 28 patients, the fistulae healed completely after a single DVIU, a further 11 required two urethrotomies, while the remaining five required more than two urethrotomies to treat the stricture.

CONCLUSION

DVIU can be used to treat strictures complicated by urethrocutaneous fistulae, and for detecting associated urethral pathology. It has the advantage of requiring a minimal hospital stay, provoking minimal morbidity and the procedure can be repeated as a day-case if the stricture recurs.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of distal urethral stenosis caused by fibrous periurethritis in women. Our experience]

OBJECTIVE

To report on our experience in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of distal urethral stenosis arising from fibrous periurethritis in women.

METHODS

9 patients who had undergone surgery for distal urethral stenosis caused by fibrous periurethritis are described. Patient history, clinical symptoms, the surgical technique employed, complications and post-operative course are presented.

RESULTS

All 9 patients had a history of recurrent urinary infection and alteration of the urinary stream. The results obtained by surgery were satisfactory in all cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Distal urethral stenosis arising from fibrous periurethritis is uncommon, but not rare. Diagnosis is principally based on the clinical symptoms, characterized by low urinary obstructive symptoms, and the finding at physical examination of a narrow meatus and periurethral enlargement caused by fibrous tissue surrounding the distal urethra. The Richardson urethrolysis technique achieved satisfactory results in these patients.