The Role of Atypical Microorganisms in Chronic Oropharyngeal Phlogosis

Abstract

The recurrent or chronic “non specific pharyngitis” is one of the most common complaints of adults treated in an outpatient setting and it is a disease without a certain aetiology, but with many probable causes which can be of bacterial or viral nature, but incidence of atypical microorganism infection, such as Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), Mycoplasma hominis (Mh) and Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) is believed to be on the rise. The increase is correlated above all to sexual behavior and to diffusion of new microbiological diagnostic methods, such as PCR. From 840 patients affected by recurrent episodes of chronic pharyngeal phlogosis and examined from 2006 to 2008, we selected 67 patients, 37 women and 30 men. On the basis of molecular and cultural analysis, 85.07% of patients were positive to Ct, and 89.55% were positive to Mollicutes (Mh+Uu), showing a vast overlapping of co-infections of Uu and Mh. Our data indicated a higher rate of infection by atypical microorganism in selected patients affected by chronic pharyngitis. It is important to suspect this aetiology during recurrent chronic pharingitis because patients with these oropharingeal infections, must be considered as carriers and the correct treatment, only possible after exact diagnosis, is above all necessary to prevent fearful complications in other body areas.