title: Occurrence of pharyngeal Chlamydia trachomatis is uncommon in patients with a suspected or confirmed genital infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate how common pharyngeal Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is among mainly heterosexual women and men with a confirmed or a highly suspicious genital infection having had recent unprotected active oral sex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out-patient clinics for sexually transmitted infections in Stockholm.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 143 women and 138 men with a confirmed or suspected genital CT infection and a history of active oral sex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharyngeal samples from men and women in the study population were analyzed for the presence of CT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number of positive CT in pharyngeal samples in relation to positive CT in genital samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the women, 9/128 (7.0%) were positive in the pharyngeal samples. None were exclusively positive in the pharynx. Three of 110 men (2.7%) had pharyngeal involvement. One man was positive in the pharynx as well as in the urine sample, and two men were exclusively pharyngeal CT positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding of CT in the pharynx is not common in spite of the presence of a genital infection and a history of active oral sex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology & Venereology, Division of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. arne.vikstrom@karolinska.se
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wikström
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rotzén-Ostlund
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marions
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000382:microbiology*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult