Septicemia due to Mycoplasma hominis

Mycoplasma hominis was recovered from the blood of 7 patients with various underlying disorders. One patient had a legal abortion, another a Caesarian section, both followed by septicemia. Three patients had genital infections in pregnancy, followed by septicemia and spontaneous abortion. M. hominis was also recovered from cervix and urethra in 2 of these women. High serum antibody levels against M. hominis were demonstrated in 3 women. One female developed septicemia after cancer surgery, one male after heart surgery. In the first 6 patients described the septicemia was of short duration and self-limiting, in the 7th patient it was of long duration and appropriate antimicrobial treatment was required. From this patient M. hominis was also isolated from infected operation wounds.