[Doxycycline in the treatment of non-specific urethritis and/or prostatitis]

Twenty-five men with non-specific urethritis/adnexitis were treated with 200 mg doxycycline monohydrate daily (Vibramycin Tabs) over a period of 10 days. More than half of the patients suffered from chronic inflammations. Microorganisms isolated from urethral secretion and prostate exprimate comprised aerobes, in particular staphylococcus epidermidis and streptococcus faecalis, as well as mycoplasmae, chlamydiae, and anaerobes, mainly bacteroides species and peptostreptococci. Fourty percent of patients additionally had anatomical alterations such as constrictions or strictures of the lower urinary tract. After 10-day therapy with doxycycline 16 out of 24 patients (67%) could be cured and a further six patients (25%) could be improved. Microbiological cure could be achieved in infections with chlamydiae in all cases, in infections with mycoplasmae in 67%, in infections with anaerobes in 80%, and in infections with aerobes in 57% of cases. Overall, the therapeutical success in the investigated patient population with chronic infections which are difficult to treat has therefore to be regarded as excellent. Therapy had to be discontinued in one patient after 3 days due to diarrhoea and nausea. In the other patients toleration of doxycycline was good.