Cultural diagnosis of gonorrhoea with modified New York City (MNYC) medium

A simply prepared modified New York City medium, designated MNYC was compared with Thayer Martin (TM) medium for the cultural diagnosis of gonorrhoea. MNYC medium contained lincomycin, commercial gonococcal base and lysed whole blood, whereas the original New York City medium contained fresh horse plasma and haemoglobin solution, a basal medium prepared from basic ingredients and vanocmycin. Using MNYC medium gonococci were cultured from 96.1% of men and 100% of women with gonorrhoea (positive film and/or culture) compared with only 77.6% and 69% respectively using TM medium. There were no patients positive by culture on TM medium but negative by culture on MNYC medium. The proportion of men with positive films but negative culture was reduced from 17.1% on TM medium to 3.9% on MNYC medium. There were no women with positive films but negative cultures on MNYC medium compared with 19% on TM medium. MNYC medium is recommended as a simply prepared and highly efficient medium for the cultural diagnosis of gonorrhoea.