[Results of treating infections of the cervical mucosa with doxycycline polyphosphate in 53 infertile women].

Our study was carried out on 53 women who had been infertile for more than a year and who had cervical mucus infection. In 13 cases (group A) there was no other known associated factor to cause the infertility. In 26 cases (group B) there was an obvious associated factor and in a further 14 cases there was a latent associated factor. The physical characteristics as well as the bacteriological appearances of the mucus (which included a systematic search for aerobic bacteria and for chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and for ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) were studied both before and 6-8 weeks after treatment with doxycycline polyphosphate given in doses of 100 mg twice daily. Before treatment the bacteria most often found were escherichia coli (20 cases) and enterococci (18 cases). CT was only found once and UU six times, usually in association with other bacteria. In 75.5% of cases the treatment made the affecting organism go; and cut down or removed entirely the number of leucocytes in the mucus in 73.5% of cases. But the physical characteristics of the mucus were only improved in 43% of cases, and in 18 cases a new infective organism was found in the mucus after treatment. However, it was in too low a concentration to determine its pathogenicity. There were nine pregnancies within 4 months of the start of treatment, which means that 30% in group A and 19% in group B became pregnant. Infection of the cervical mucus therefore does really seem to be a factor in lowered fertility in certain women CT and UU seem to be rarely the responsible organisms. Doxycycline phosphophate in an efficient and well tolerated treatment in these infections.