Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is an inflammation of the urethra that is not caused by gonorrheal infection. For treatment purposes, doctors usually classify infectious urethritis in two categories: gonococcal urethritis, caused by gonorrhea, and nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). Symptoms and signs
The symptoms of urethritis can include pain or a burning sensation upon urination (dysuria), a white/cloudy discharge and a feeling that one needs to pass urine frequently. For men, the signs and symptoms are discharge from the penis, burning or pain when urinating, itching, irritation, or tenderness. In women, the signs and symptoms are discharge from vagina, burning or pain when urinating, anal or oral infections, abdominal pain, or abnormal vaginal bleeding, which may be an indication that the infection has progressed to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. NGU is transmitted by touching the mouth, penis, vagina or anus by penis, vagina or anus of a person who has NGU. NGU is more common in men than women. Men may have a discharge (strange liquid) from the penis, pain when urinating, and itching, irritation or tenderness around the opening of the penis. Women might not have any symptoms and may not know they have NGU until severe problems occur. Women might have discharge from the vagina, burning or pain when urinating, pain in the abdominal (stomach) area, or bleeding from the vagina that is not from a monthly period. (This may be an sign that NGU has become worse and turned into Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, or PID). Causes
There are many causes of NGU.
This leads to symptoms and biochemistry of an overactive thyroid (feels hot, trembly, anxious, loses weight, fast heart rate, sweaty, greasy hair), with raised free T3 and free T4, and a suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) value. The damaged cells will no longer be able to take up iodine in order to manufacture further supplies of thyroid hormone, and thus in due course the patient comes to experience the symptoms of an underactive thyroid (feels cold, tired, depressed, gains weight, dry skin and hair) with low free T3 and free T4, and eventually increased TSH. Diagnosis
With the standard overactive thyroid, iodine uptake into the thyroid is avid, whereas if the cells are damaged, then uptake is poor. In this way, if there is doubt about whether the patient has too much thyroid hormone because of de Quervains thyroiditis, then measuring radio-iodine uptake or technetium uptake gives a clear cut answer as it will be higher than normal in standard thyrotoxicosis and lower than normal in de Quervains. Treatment
Treatment is beta blockers, aspirin, and NSAIDs (or corticosteroids if NSAIDs are ineffective). Eponym
It is named for Fritz de Quervain. It should not be confused with De Quervain syndrome. Terminology
It is sometimes called subacute thyroiditis, but there are other forms of subacute thyroiditis, subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis, postpartum thyroiditis, and autoimmune thyroiditis all of which, in contrast to de Quervains, are typically painless or "silent". It is also sometimes called "painful subacute thyroiditis". This is in contrast to subacute lymphocytic thyroiditis, which is also sometimes called "painless thyroiditis".