Pathophysiology
Clinical meaning
Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra, most commonly caused by sexually transmitted pathogens. The two main types are gonococcal urethritis (caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and non-gonococcal urethritis (most often caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, but also Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum). The bacteria infect the urethral mucosal epithelium, triggering an inflammatory response that causes mucosal swelling, discharge production, and pain with urination. Urethritis is more symptomatic in men (with visible urethral discharge and dysuria) than in women, where it may be asymptomatic or mimic a urinary tract infection. If untreated, the infection can ascend and cause more serious complications such as epididymitis in men or pelvic inflammatory disease in women.