[Gardnerella vaginalis as urinary pathogen].

AIM

To study the significance of Gardnerella vaginalis in urine by comparing urine culture results, leucocytes count and clinical findings.

METHODS

A total of 1,365 urine specimens submitted consecutively were inoculated on Bilayer media. G. vaginalis was recovered from 76 urine specimens with the following distribution: in 12 samples G. vaginalis was isolated as the only organism, 9 with counts > 10(5) CFU/ml and 3 between 10(5)-10(3); in the remaining 64 samples G. vaginalis was always found in counts > 10(5) CFU/ml but associated in 13 occasions with another organism and in 51 occasions with 2 or more organisms from the periurethral and vaginal flora.

RESULTS

G. vaginalis in pure cultures corresponded to 8 women and 4 males whose ages ranged from 20 to 86 years. Six patients complained of symptoms of lower urinary tract infection (UTI), 3 had fever and in 3 the urine culture was practised as a control. Seven patients presented predisposing factors to UTI and 2 were pregnant. In only 2 cases pyuria was detected. Of 12 patients with pure cultures, only 3 were found to have G. vaginalis UTI.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that G. vaginalis in urine not always implies an UTI and that this organism is found most often in patients with predisposing factors.