MYCOPLASMA-HOMINIS AND UREAPLASMA-UREALYTICUM IN PATIENTS WITH SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum can be isolated with con siderable frequency from the human urogenital tract and are thought to cause various syndromes such as nongonococcal urethritis, pelvic infl ammatory disease, pyelonephritis or infertility. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the presence of different genital pathogens in patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and, in particular, the detection of mycoplasmas in individuals infected with genital micr obes and an assessment of the presence of genital microorganisms in pa tients harbouring Mycoplasma hominis or Ureaplasma urealyticum. Furthe rmore, the occurrence of mycoplasmas in women with bacterial vaginosis was established. Specimens were collected from a total of 41,980 pers ons attending the Outpatients' Centre for Infectious Venero-Dermatolog ical Diseases in Vienna from 1994 to 1996. Of all genital pathogens, U reaplasma urealyticum was cultured most frequently in men and women. M yco-plasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were detected more often in the vaginal fluid than in the male urethra. By contrast, infection rates with Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis were highe r in men than in women. in both men and women, trichomoniasis increase d colonisation with Mycoplasma hominis, while mycoplasmas occurred les s frequently together with genital candidiasis. Mycoplasma hominis was cultivated significantly more often in women with bacterial vaginosis than in those without. In contrast to urethral infections in men, cer vical infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis r aised the incidence of Mycoplasma hominis in the vaginal fluid.