Asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis Urethritis in Men

Ten men with asymptomatic urethritis due to Chlamydia trachomatis were identified through culture screening and were treated with ceftriaxone (1 g given intramuscularly). Seven of the eight men who were followed for at least 21 days before and after therapy remained asymptomatic but culture-positive. One originally asymptomatic man had onset of symptomatic non-gonococcal urethritis 18 days after his first positive culture. Among asymptomatic men with positive cultures, pyuria was present in urine specimens obtained at 17 of 18 visits, while the leukocyte count on the urethral gram stain was above normal at ten of 29 visits (P less than .01). Therefore, one may conclude that ceftriaxone (1 g given intramuscularly) was ineffective therapy for chlamydial urethritis; male urethral infection with C. trachomatis can remain asymptomatic for 21-45 days; and in this population pyuria detected by urinalysis correlates better with infection than does a urethral gram stain.