Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology
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J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol · Oct 2004
Comparative StudyComparison of nucleic acid amplification tests and culture techniques in the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in victims of suspected child sexual abuse.
(1) To identify factors predictive for gonorrhea and chlamydia positivity by LCR testing based on history and physical findings encountered during the sexual abuse evaluations. (2) To compare Ligase Chain Reaction (LCR), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and culture methods in the detection of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection among prepubertal and adolescent girls referred for sexual abuse evaluations. ⋯ While LCR, PCR, and culture techniques appeared comparable for detecting gonorrhea, LCR techniques detected significantly more patients with chlamydia infection when compared with the culture technique. PCR was comparable to LCR in detecting chlamydia infection. The LCR vaginal swab detected more patients with chlamydia and gonorrhea than the LCR urine sample. Risk factors for chlamydia and gonorrhea infection were present in most, but not all, of the children with positive LCR findings. LCR and PCR appear to detect more chlamydial and gonorrheal infections than do cultures.