[Growth patterns of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: occurrence and significance].

The introduction of transparent mediums for the growth of the gonococcus in the laboratory led to a definitive examination of colonial morphology. Characteristics, such as size, elevation, colour, highlights, opacity,. consistency and evaluation of edges make possible to distinguish five colonial types: T1-T5. The most significant characteristic associated with colony morphology has been virulence; T1/T2-colonies are virulent for humans and T3/T4-colonies are avirulent. Interactions with host cells, metabolic, antigenic and genetic characteristics of N. gonorrhoease of different colonial morphology are discussed.