[Bacteriological studies on the bile in different conditions of surgical interest]

A bacteriological study was carried out on bile taken, during the course of surgery, from 235 patients suffering from a wide variety of diseases, both benign and malignant, concerning the bile ways. The investigation, initially directed to the aerobic bile flora, was afterwards extended to include germs growing in strict anaerobiosis. The highest incidence of bactibilia was found in repeat operations for post-operative stenosis of the hepatocholedochus, followed by neoplasias of the gall-bladder or main bile duct, and calculosis of the gall-bladder. For germs growing in compulsory anaerobiosis the responses to the cultural test were all negative, while in two cases microaerophilic streptococci were isolated. Finally the results of the antibiograms made on the isolated microbial species are reported.