Relationship of Pleuropneumonia-like (L) Organisms to Infections of Human Genital Tract. ∗

Abstract

In a consecutive series of cultures from the genital tract of 129 unselected patients, pleuropneumonia-like (L) organisms were recovered from 23 of 77 cervical cultures, from 1 of 8 vaginal cultures, from 3 of 36 prostatic cultures, and from 1 of 8 cultures of urethral discharges from males. 1

The 4 male patients who yielded an abundant growth of these organisms all had chronic prostatitis. Gonococci were not demonstrable. One patient had rheumatoid arthritis, one had polyarthritis clinically resembling gonococcal arthritis, one complained of soreness of feet and knees and swelling of fingers. Joint effusions were obtained from the first 2 of these patients, but no organisms could be found in them by smear or culture.

Among the females, considering only those cases in which pleuropneumonia-like organisms were the predominating flora and, excluding cases in which only a few colonies were observed, we find that 5 had chronic cervicitis, 7 had gonorrhea, while in 4 the cervix appeared clean. Among the 9 from whom gonococci were not recovered, 1 had rheumatoid arthritis and 3 complained of various skeletal aches and pains. One of these 3 was the wife of the male patient who complained of prostatitis, soreness of feet and knees and swelling of fingers, a finding which suggests the possibility of transfer of the organisms by sexual intercourse.

This mode of transmission is further indicated by another finding, not included in the above series. In this case, a man was admitted to the hospital because of acute tenosynovitis of the left wrist and chronic prostatitis.