[Chlamydia and pharyngotonsillitis in childhood].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Chlamydia trachomatis in pharyngeal infections in childhood. 200 children, aged 1 month to 12 years, with and without symptoms of pharyngitis were examined for CT. Swabs were taken from the oropharynx and tonsillar areas for direct fluorescent antibody assay. 12% of the patients and 4% of the control subjects were positive for CT. Group A Streptococcus was not isolated from any patient or control subject positive for CT. In positive cases we extended the research to relatives. The treatment for positive cases was erythromycin and it eradicated CT in 80% of our patients. A new strain of Chlamydia, called TWAR, showing cross-reactivity with CT, has been isolated. Therefore further research should be carried out to discover if micro-organisms considered CT up to now, do belong or not to TWAR strain. Long term studies in children will be helpful in further defining the role of Chlamydia, trachomatis or TWAR, as a cause of pharyngitis.