acyclovir and Urethral-Diseases

With the decline in prevalence of childhood-acquired oral-labial herpes simplex type 1 infections in some populations and the increasing incidence of genital herpes infections in adults, clinicians are more likely to see patients with severe primary, first-episode genital herpes infections. Complications of these primary infections may include aseptic meningitis and urine retention secondary to sacral radiculopathy or autonomic dysfunction. Presented are the clinical course of first-episode and recurrent infections, complications, diagnostic laboratory methods, and results of controlled clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of topical, intravenous, and oral preparations of acyclovir.

Topics: Acyclovir; Administration, Oral; Administration, Topical; Adult; Antibodies, Viral; DNA, Viral; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Female; Herpes Genitalis; Humans; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Nervous System Diseases; Proctitis; Prostatitis; Recurrence; Sex Factors; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Urethral Diseases

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of genital ulcer and urethral pathogens, as well as their association with clinical features, in men with genital ulcer disease (GUD) enrolled in a clinical trial.. Clinical data were collected by questionnaire. Ulcer swabs were tested for herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1/2), Treponema pallidum, Haemophilus ducreyi, and Chlamydia trachomatis L1-L3. First-pass urine was tested for urethral pathogens, namely Neisseria gonorrhoeae, C. trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Mycoplasma genitalium. Pathogens were detected by real-time molecular assays. Blood was tested for HIV, HSV-2, and syphilis-associated antibodies. Pathogens and clinical associations were investigated using the χ test.. A total of 615 men with GUD were recruited. Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1, 4.2%; HSV-2, 98.2%) and bacterial pathogens were detected in 451 (73.6%) and 48 (7.8%) of genital ulcers, respectively. Human immunodeficiency virus, HSV-2, and treponemal antibodies were detected in 387 (62.9%), 434 (70.6%), and 141 (23.0%) men, respectively, whereas 54 men (8.8%) were rapid plasmin reagin (RPR) seropositive. A total of 223 urethral infections were diagnosed in 188 men (30.6%), including 69 (11.2%) M. genitalium, 64 (10.4%) T. vaginalis, 60 (9.8%) C. trachomatis, and 30 (4.9%) N. gonorrhoeae infections. Dysuria was reported by 170 men (27.6%), and 69 men (11.5%) had urethral discharge on examination. Urethral pathogens were detected in 102/409 (24.9%) men without these clinical features.. Herpes accounted for most GUD cases and urethral pathogen coinfections were common. Erythromycin, dispensed to treat infrequent chancroid and lymphogranuloma venereum cases, provided additional treatment of some asymptomatic urethral pathogens. Additional antibiotics would be required to treat asymptomatic trichomoniasis and gonorrhea.

Topics: Acyclovir; Adult; Chancre; Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydia trachomatis; Gonorrhea; Haemophilus ducreyi; Herpes Genitalis; Herpesvirus 1, Human; Herpesvirus 2, Human; HIV Seropositivity; HIV-1; Humans; Male; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Prevalence; Primary Health Care; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sentinel Surveillance; South Africa; Surveys and Questionnaires; Syphilis; Treponema pallidum; Ulcer; Urethral Diseases; Urine