Urethritis

Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra. The main symptom is dysuria, which is painful or difficult urination. Usually, the patient undresses and puts on a gown. The physician examines the penis and testicles for soreness or any swelling. The urethra is visually examined by spreading the urinary meatus apart with two gloved fingers, and examining the opening for redness, discharge and other abnormalities. Next, a cotton swab is inserted 1–4 cm ... more

Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra. The main symptom is dysuria, which is painful or difficult urination. Usually, the patient undresses and puts on a gown. The physician examines the penis and testicles for soreness or any swelling. The urethra is visually examined by spreading the urinary meatus apart with two gloved fingers, and examining the opening for redness, discharge and other abnormalities. Next, a cotton swab is inserted 1–4 cm into the urethra and rotated once. To prevent contamination, no lubricant is applied to the swab, causing the procedure to be extremely painful. The swab is then smeared onto a glass slide and examined under a microscope. A commonly used cut-off for the diagnosis of urethritis is 5 or more polymorphonuclear leukocytes per high power field, but this definition has recently been called into doubt. The physician sometimes performs a digital rectal exam (DRE) to inspect the prostate gland for swelling or infection. In the diagnostic approach to... less