Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of curable bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. It manifests primarily as urethritis in males and endocervicitis in females.
Untreated chlamydial infection in man can cause epididymitis and proctitis. Though most women with Chlamydia infection are asymptomatic or have minimal symptoms, some develop salpingitis, endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy and tubal factor infertility. It is associated with an increased risk for the transmission or acquisition of HIV and is also attributed to be a risk factor for the development of cervical carcinoma.
Early diagnosis and treatment of infected individuals is required to prevent the spread of the disease and severe sequelae. Traditionally, tissue culture was considered the gold standard for the diagnosis. However, with the availability of newer diagnostic techniques particularly molecular methods which are not only highly sensitive and specific but are cost-effective also, the diagnosis has became fast and easy.
The goal of treatment is the prevention of complications associated with infection (e.g., PID, infertility), to decrease the risk of transmission, and the resolution of symptoms. Treatment for uncomplicated urogenital chlamydia infection is with azithromycin. Doxycycline is an alternative, but azithromycin is preferred as it is a single-dose therapy. Other alternatives include erythromycin, levofloxacin, and ofloxacin.
Chlamydial infection and gonococcal infections often coexist. In men, the co-treatment for urogenital gonococcal infection should occur on the basis of the detection of the organism on NAAT or gram stain. In women, the gram stain is less helpful due to the possibility of normal Neisseria species colonization within the vaginal flora. Therefore, co-treatment should be dependent on an assessment of individual patient risk and local prevalence rates.
Patients should have partners identified and tested. They should also be counseled on high-risk behaviors, avoid sexual activity for one week after initiating therapy, and should consider testing for HIV.
Verification of cure should occur three weeks after treatment completion, and retesting should be performed three months after treatment.
If symptoms persist after treatment, consider coinfection with a secondary bacterium or reinfection.
References:
Malhotra M, Sood S, Mukherjee A, Muralidhar S, Bala M. Genital Chlamydia trachomatis: an update. Indian J Med Res. 2013 Sep;138(3):303-16. PMID: 24135174; PMCID: PMC3818592.
Mohseni M, Sung S, Takov V. Chlamydia. [Updated 2023 Jan 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537286/
Chlamydia trachomatis, NAA, Urine
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