[Clinical study on female patients with bladder irritability--comparison between cystitis and urethral syndrome]

We analysed the clinical background of female who had no underlying disease but consulted out urology outpatient clinic with a chief complaint of symptoms of bladder irritation. Overally, 50.1% (102/200 cases) of the cases had urethral syndrome, without pyria or bacteriuria. Plotting of the age distribution of the urethral syndrome cases showed a bell-shaped curve, with the peak at the 40-49 year-old age bracket. The age distribution for the cystitis cases showed two peaks: at 20-29 years of age and 60-69 years of age. These results indicate that the cases of urethral syndrome involve multiple factors with increasing age. Examination of the external genitalia revealed the urethral smear specimens to be positive for leukocytes in 48.9% (88/180 cases) of the total urethral syndrome cases and in 72.7% (16/22 cases) of the urethral syndrome cases positive for urethral bacteria. Accordingly, it was surmised that there is considered to be a precursor of cystitis-as a cause of urethral syndrome cases. In addition, the rates of detection of chlamydia trachomatis from the vagina and urethra of the urethral syndrome cases in the reproductive age range of (2/34 cases) for the urethra. However, these rates were about the same as those determined for healthy volunteers. Nevertheless, it was surmised that urethritis or vaginitis caused by C. trachomatis was one of the causes of the symptoms of bladder irritation in some of the cases. Accordingly, it was concluded that infection due to C. trachomatis cannot be ignored as a possible cause of urethral syndrome.