Unsuspected gonococcal infection in female patients.

Four hundred and ten female patients attending obstetric and gynaecological outpatient departments were investigated for possible gonococcal infection. All were in their reproductive phase. Forty-two (10.2%) of them harboured Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Of the infected patients, 40.5% had no symptoms at all. Investigation was carried out using a single, endocervical specimen cultured in Chacko-Nair egg-enriched media.