Cervical bacterial flora in patients with gynecologic malignancies.

Radiation and gynecologic oncologists agree that pelvic irradiation in the presence of pelvic inflammatory disease, parametritis, or pyometra can be catastrophic. A temperature elevation in a patient having intrauterine radiation is very perplexing. This study was designed to investigate one of the three reported etiologies for this condition. Some investigators have suggested an exacerbation of a quiescent infection as a possible etiology because of the necrotic condition of many cancerous cervices. Aerobic, anaerobic, and fungus cultures were performed on 32 patients prior to intrauterine administration of cesium. The organisms cultured were similar to those identified as the normal cervical flora. The frequency of the organisms seemed independent of the amount of irradiation. The number of organisms cultured did not vary with the use or nonuse of cleansing vaginal suppositories. This study indicated no increase in bacterial growth in these cancerous necrotic cervices; also it did not indicate the growth of any unusual pathologic bacteria.