Etiology of acute epididymitis presenting in a venereal disease clinic.

Sixteen patients aged 19-42 years and suffering from acute epididymitis were investigated. In twelve patients evidence of acute epididymitis developed without premonitory urethral symptoms. The only microbiologic finding for ten patients was Chlamydia trachomatis; both C. trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae were isolated from four patients. Two patients, who had recently had antibiotic treatment, harbored neither of these microorganisms. These observations indicate that C. trachomatis must be considered a dominant cause of acute epididymitis in the younger age groups. This fact has implications for the choice of treatment (erythromycin or tetracycline) and the investigations and treatment of sexual contacts.