Ankylosing spondylitis and urogenital infection: diagnosis of urologic infection and correlation with rheumatologic findings

We examined 134 male patients with confirmed ankylosing spondylitis. The study protocol included a medical-rheumatological examination and thorough exploration for infections of the urinogential tract. An urethroadnexitis was found in 37 of 134 patients (27.6%): Two patients suffered from balanitis, 17 patients from urethritis, 18 patients from prostatitis, and two patients from epididymitis. Only four patients gave a history of urethritis and eight patients of prostatitis. The microorganisms isolated most frequently from patients with urogenital infection were Chlamydia trachomatis and, in few cases, Ureaplasma urealyticum. By comparing the urethroadnexitis group and the non-infected group with regard to other clinical parameters, we found a significantly increased C-reactive protein in the infected group. Other clinical parameters like involvement of the free spinal column, inflammatory involvement of the joints, and HLA-B27 correlation did not differ significantly.