Epididymitis: aspects concerning etiology and treatment.

Extended microbiological studies were performed on 49 patients with acute or chronic epididymitis, including bacteriology of epididymal specimens in cases of scrotal surgery. In no patient had instrumentation or catheterization resulted in epididymitis. The microbiological data showed a prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis epididymal infections in men less than 40 years old, whereas common urinary tract pathogens prevailed in older patients. Cultures of urethral swabs and midstream urine provided reliable information on the type of microorganism that caused epididymitis. Ofloxacin, an antibiotic of the new quinolone group, was proved to be highly effective in the treatment of acute and chronic bacterial as well as chlamydial epididymitis.