[The periurethral flora in female patients with recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) (author's transl)]

Abstract

In 52 girls and 38 women with recurrent nonobstructive UTI 529 bacterial samples were obtained from the periurethral area under the following conditions: no bacteriuria and no chemotherapy for at least 3 weeks before the examination. In 225 samples we found E. coli and enterococci as the most frequent potentially uropathogenic bacteria. In the periurethral region these were found approximately twice as frequently as in urologically normal persons. 36 (40%) of the patients had no further recurrences during the follow-up, though 107 (44%) of the swabs showed an abnormal bacterial colonization. 54 (60%) of the patients, many of them with very frequent recurrences, in only 118 (41%) of the obtained samples showed an abnormal periurethral flora. The findings suggest that the periurethral flora is not the most important factor in the pathogenesis of UTI.