The male gonorrhoea carrier; report of seven cases.

Relatively little attention appears to have been paid to the male gonorrhoea " carrier" (a man with the disease, and capable of transmitting it, but with no symptoms, or with symptoms so slight as to be ignored), although such cases were well known to develop after inadequate sulphonamide treatment. There is little evidence that treatment with penicillin, even in small doses, ever produces a carrier state. However, since gonorrhoea is apparently becoming a much more innocuous disease in both sexes,t relatively symptomless and asymptomatic male cases may become of importance in its perpetuation. Attention was drawn to this problem by a patient who first attended the Department of Venereal Diseases, General Infirmary, Leeds, in March, 1953 (Case 1). He was subjected to complete examination in order to establish without doubt that he was a gonorrhoea carrier. Bacteriological investigations were repeated on several occasions before treatment was given in order to confirm the diagnosis, and to allow for the possible development of symptoms. Study of the Department records from the beginning of 1950 revealed five other similar cases, all of whom appeared to be carriers. Although the evidence was less complete in some of them than in Case 1, additional confirmatory investigations (such as examination of the prostatic fluid) had sometimes been done even after a bacteriological diagnosis had been made from the urethra or urine. A seventh case presented in December, 1953, and was fully investigated (Case 7). No further cases have since been encountered.