METHODS OF LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF GONORRHOEA USED IN THE USSR.

In this review of gonorrhoea diagnostic methods in current use in the USSR, the author stresses first the value of the examination of smears for the detection of the typical forms of the gonococcus. Where atypical L-forms are present, as may occur after treatment with antibiotics or sulfanilamide, microscopy may be misleading and a combination of laboratory methods is called for, including the use of culture techniques. Transport media for the maintenance of material for culture have been little used in the USSR so far, but experiments with the Stuart medium and modifications of it have shown promise.Although the complement-fixation test has lately fallen rather into disuse for gonorrhoea diagnosis, the author considers the inherent value of this serological method to warrant its further use provided that new and improved antigens and techniques can be developed capable of yielding specific reactions with both typical and atypical forms of the gonococcus.