Role of genital mycoplasmas in nongonococcal urethritis and prostatitis

The roles of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in the pathogenesis of nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) remain controversial. Isolation and serologic studies and results of antibiotic therapy do not provide good evidence that M. hominis causes NGU. The results of some studies of therapy and of some experiments in which humans were inoculated with U. urealyticum indicate that this organism may cause some cases of NGU. However, U. urealyticum is ubiquitous and apparently nonpathogenic at other genital sites; thus there are serious difficulties in deciding its role in NGU. Chronic prostatitis is a poorly defined clinical entity. At present there is no convincing evidence that either M. hominis or U. urealyticum is involved in its pathogenesis.