Non-gonococcal urethritis due to chlamydia trachomatis: the Ibadan experience

Abstract

Using a qualitative amplified enzyme-linked immunoassay, two hundred and eighty-nine male patients with symptoms and signs suggestive of urethritis were investigated tor Chlamydia trachomatis as a cause of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). Ninet\-one (31.49%) of the 289 male patients investigated had gonococcal urethritis whilst 198 (68.51%) had NGU out of which 112 (56.60%) had chlamydial urethritis and 14 (7.1%) had Trichomonal urethritis. Two (6.7%) of the control subjects had C. trachomatis in their urethral swabs. The difference in the occurrence of C trachomatis between the patients and the controls was highly statistically significant (P<0.001). The age range of peak incidence among the patients investigated was 20-29 years. Thirteen of the men treated for gonorrhoea still had water)' urethral discharge and irritation and were diagnosed as having post-gonococcal urethritis (PGU), eleven (84.6%) of whom had C trachomatis demonstrated in their urethral swabs. We were able to demonstrate a significant difference in clinical symptoms in men with gonorrhoea and NGU but only a slight difference between men with chlamydia-positive NGU and chlamydia negative NGU.