title: Isolation and identification of anaerobic organisms from the male and female urogenital tracts.
abstract: Since Bacteroides spp may play an important role together with Gardnerella vaginalis in the pathogenesis of non-specific vaginitis and balanoposthitis, anaerobic organisms were isolated and identified from 34 female and 20 male patients attending a department of genitourinary medicine, and the results compared with the clinical findings and the presence of other routinely isolated pathogens. Twenty-three different organisms were recovered from 13 of the 20 men; of these organisms, 20 were of the Bacteroides spp. Most isolates were of the B melaninogenicus/oralis group, which forms part of the commensal vaginal flora in women. A definite association between the presence of anaerobes and other pathogens needs to be firmly established, as this obviously causes important complications in treating these conditions.
mesh_terms: D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006194:Gardnerella vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014521:Urethra / Q000382:microbiology; D014526:Urethritis / Q000382:microbiology; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000382:microbiology*; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000382:microbiology