Ureaplasma urealyticum demonstrated by open lung biopsy in newborns with chronic lung disease

Lung biopsy tissue from eight infants with chronic lung disease was evaluated for the presence of Ureaplasma urealyticum. Specimens from four infants grew the organism. Pleural fluid cultures matched lung tissue but tracheal cultures were negative in two babies with positive lung tissue. There were no distinguishing pathologic findings in the four culture-positive infants which could be used to identify them vs. the culture-negative infants. Three culture-positive infants improved clinically after therapy directed at Ureaplasma even though two remained culture-positive. Ureaplasma grows in lung tissue of infants with chronic lung disease, it does not demonstrate any specific standard pathologic findings and tissue cultures do not match endotracheal cultures.