In urethritis (synonyms: Urethritis and urethral syndrome; ICD-10 N34.-: Urethritis and urethral syndrome) is an inflammation of the urethra (urethra). It is one of the (lower) urinary tract infections.
Urethritis is a common disease associated with a high incidence of unreported cases.
According to the etiology (cause), the following forms are distinguished:
Infectious urethritis
- Gonorrheic urethritis (GU; specific urethritis) – caused by the pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
- Non-gonorrheic urethritis (NGU; nonspecific urethritis) – caused by various pathogens, predominantly Chlamydia trachomatis (serotypes D-K; 40-80%), but also Ureaplasma urealyticum (20%), Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, herpes virus type II (less frequently type I), E. coli and other bacteria found in urethritis (eg, Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci).
Furthermore, there are mycotic (caused by a fungal infection) and protozoan (caused by parasites) urethritis.
Posttraumatic (mechanical) urethritis
- Instrumental interventions
- Catheter irritation
- Stricture of the urethra
- Chemical irritation
Other forms of urethritis include:
- Abacterial
- Allergic
You can distinguish the acute form from chronic urethritis.
When the urethra is infected with a pathogen, the incubation period (time from infection to onset of the disease) is usually 1-3 weeks.
Sex ratio: males to females is 1: 1.
Peak incidence: The disease occurs predominantly between the ages of 20 and 30. In the United States, the peak incidence for urethritis caused by chlamydia and gonococcus is between 15 and 24 years of age.
The incidence (frequency of new cases) for nonspecific urethritis is approximately 0.6 cases per 1,000 population per year (in Germany). Worldwide, there are approximately 89 million new infections per year.
Course and prognosis: If urethritis is diagnosed early and treated adequately, the prognosis is good. Especially in women, the disease takes a mild course or shows no symptoms.
Urethritis caused by a pathogen often remains undetected for a long time due to minor or no symptoms. In the case of sexually transmitted pathogens, this can lead to partners of affected persons becoming infected through unprotected sexual intercourse. If the disease remains untreated, the pathogen can spread to other organs.A diagnosis and, if necessary, therapy of sexual partners and partners in the last 60 days should be carried out.Sexual abstinence should be maintained for up to 7 days after the end of antibiotic therapy.
Gonorrheal urethritis (GU) and nonspecific urethritis (non-gonorrheal urethritis, GNU) are among the most common sexually transmitted diseases ( STDs).