[Isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum in respiratory samples from two patients with bronchiolitis]

We report the cases of two patients, 5 and 4 months of age, without clinically important antecedents, that were hospitalized with a bronchiolitis syndrome. In the respiratory samples (nasopharynx aspirates) of both patients we isolated Ureaplasma urealyticum in pure culture and with a quantitative count > 10(3) cfu/ml. Vaginal cultures of mothers were negative. The patients were treated with fluid therapy and salbutamol, and after the respiratory cultures were reported positive, with erythromycin for 7 days. Because of the age of the patients (not in the neonatal period) and the type of respiratory syndrome (bronchiolitis), it is very difficult to evaluate the real clinical significance of these isolations. We review the respiratory pathology caused by U. urealyticum during the neonatal period and we recommend the need for a multicenter study about the clinical significance of this microorganism in children under one year of age.