Recurrent urinary tract infections in women.

The financial, emotional, and personal costs of dealing with urinary tract infections are tremendous. However, these expenditures are multiplied when the infections become recurrent. The categorization, pathogenesis, and treatment strategies of recurrent urinary tract infections have developed significantly during the past 10 years. Clearly, those with recurrent urinary tract infections have differences at the cell surface level that render them more susceptible. Treatment is changing direction from combatting bacteria with antimicrobials to bolstering host defenses.