Treatment of nongonococcal urethritis with trimethoprim-sulphadiazine and with placebo. A double-blind partner-controlled study.

The effect of sulphadiazine and trimethoprim (T-S) was compared with that of a placebo in the treatment of 75 men with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) and their female sexual partners. Forty (53%) men and 30 (40%) women had positive culture results for Chlamydia trachomatis before treatment was started. Thirty-four patients of each sex received active treatment. Of these, 19 men and 15 women had positive culture results for C trachomatis before treatment with T-S and one of each sex had a positive culture result after treatment. C trachomatis had been isolated in 21 men and 15 women before treatment with placebo. At follow up four weeks after treatment had been started, 16 men and 15 women still harboured C trachomatis. Five of the chlamydia-positive patients treated with placebo developed complications (epididymitis, arthritis, or salpingitis) so the trial was discontinued.