Chlamydia (inclusion conjunctivitis; paratrachoma)    237

General: Organism that infects the epithelium of mucoid surfaces; sexually transmitted; major cause of nongonococcal urethritis in men and cervicitis in women; major cause of neonatal ophthalmia; Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterium lacking respiratory enzymes that has an affinity for mucosal epithelium; serotypes A through C have been epidemiologically associated with trachoma; serotypes E through K have been associated with genital infection and keratoconjunctivitis in sexually active adults and neonates; other serotypes have been associated with lymphogranuloma venereum and Reiter syndrome.

Ocular: Follicular conjunctivitis; corneal opacities; keratitis; corneal ulcer; lid edema; uveitis.

Clinical: Pneumonia; gastrointestinal disturbances; genital discharge.

Dawson CR, et al. Inclusion conjunctivitis and Reiter's syndrome in a married couple. Chlamydia infections in a series of both diseases. Arch Ophthalmol 1970; 83:300-306.

Fraunfelder FT, Roy FR. Current Ocular Therapy, 5th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 2000.

Grossman M, et al. Prospective studies in chlamydia in newborns. In: Mardh P, et al., eds. Chlamydial infections. Amsterdam: Elsevier Biomedical, 1982.

Malaty R. Chlamydia. In: Tabbara K, Hyundiuk RA, eds. lnfections of the eye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1986:107,114.

Stephens RS. Chlamydiology. In: Smolin G, Thoft RA, eds. The Cornea. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1994: 277-282.