The clinical significance of beta hemolytic streptococci of the milleri group in oral abscesses.

Aspirated exudate from 50 patients with oral abscesses were cultured and bacterial growth was assessed qualitatively and semi-quantitatively. Bacteria were recovered from all specimens. The mean number of species isolated per specimen was 3.6 Both facultative and obligate anaerobes were isolated from 39 (78%) specimens. The most commonly isolated facultative anaerobic species was Streptococcus virdans group, while pigmented gram negative bacilli were the most commonly isolated obligate anaerobes. Beta-hemolytic Streptococci of the "milleri" groups were recovered from 11 (22%) of the abscesses. Eight of those isolates were determined to carry Lancefield group F antigen, 2 group C, and 1 isolate was not groupable for any Lancefield antigen. These abscesses may be sequelae of oral infectious disease or trauma. Patients with oral abscesses infected with beta hemolytic Streptococci are apt to be male, and less than 35 years old. They are also likely to have a more rapid onset of infection and to require hospitalization for intensive treatment of a life threatening condition.