UREAPLASMA-UREALYTICUM IN THE UROGENITAL TRACT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PROSTATITIS OR RELATED SYMPTOMATOLOGY

To elucidate the role of Ureaplasma urealyticum as a causative organis m in chronic prostatitis we investigated its incidence in the urogenit al tract in 131 chronic prostatitis patients and 120 prostatodynia pat ients; the presence of common bacteria or Chlamydia trachomatis was al so recorded. According to the 4-glass localisation test, U. urealyticu m (greater than or equal to 10(3) ccu/ml) was isolated from the prosta tes of 16 prostatitis patients and 2 prostatodynia patients; 5 of thes e prostatitis patients (but neither of the prostatodynia patients) had other bacteria in specimens after prostatic massage. Thus U. urealyti cum was the sole organism isolated from the prostates of 11 prostatiti s and 2 prostatodynia patients, which suggests that it is an aetiologi cal agent in some cases of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.