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Primary gonorrhea infection - Anogenital in
See also in: Overview
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Primary gonorrhea infection - Anogenital in

See also in: Overview
Contributors: Saami Khalifian MD, Susan Burgin MD, Paritosh Prasad MD
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the gram-negative intracellular diplococcus Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It affects both males and females, most commonly individuals aged 15-24. It is highly contagious and primarily spread through sexual contact in sexually active adolescents. However, other routes of transmission are possible in children and adolescents, including via indirect contact through sharing of contaminated objects (especially in prepubescent girls), passage from an infected mother to her fetus during childbirth, or sexual abuse. Notably, all children with gonorrheal infection must be screened for sexual abuse, as this is the most frequent cause in infants and children.

The incubation period of N gonorrhoeae is short. The average time from infection to symptom onset lasts approximately 2-7 days.

In boys, the manifestations are similar to those seen in adults, and the most common clinical manifestation is anterior urethritis, with purulent urethral discharge and dysuria. Complications include epididymitis, vesiculitis, and prostatitis, which occur via local extension. Epididymitis may manifest as unilateral testicular edema and pain together with the features of urethritis.

Notably, proctitis and pharyngitis occur in both sexes via direct mucosal infection, and are strongly associated with sexual assault in non-sexually active children; however, infections of the rectum and pharynx are often asymptomatic.

Neonates born to infected mothers commonly manifest a purulent conjunctivitis called ophthalmia neonatorum, which is a major cause of blindness in the developing world. In the United States, the rate of this infection is low due to routine screening of mothers and preventive application of antibiotic ointment immediately after birth. Neonatal infection can also lead to sepsis with invasive and disseminated gonococcal infections, including meningitis and arthritis.

In children and adolescents, disseminated and invasive gonococcal infections are uncommon.

Related topics: disseminated gonorrhea, gonococcal conjunctivitis

Codes

ICD10CM:
A54.9 – Gonococcal infection, unspecified

SNOMEDCT:
15628003 – Gonorrhea

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Last Reviewed:09/12/2021
Last Updated:09/19/2021
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Primary gonorrhea infection - Anogenital in
See also in: Overview
A medical illustration showing key findings of Primary gonorrhea infection (Male) : Testicular tenderness, Urethral pus, Dysuria, Sexually active
Clinical image of Primary gonorrhea infection - imageId=1869503. Click to open in gallery.  caption: 'A milky urethral discharge.'
A milky urethral discharge.
Copyright © 2024 VisualDx®. All rights reserved.