Gonococcal Conjunctivitis-Reply

Abstract

In Reply.— We did not cite Dr Tight's case report because his patient did develop symptoms after 13 days, although the incubation period was long. The number of citations allowed inJOURNALCLINICAL NOTES is restricted, and we chose to cite the Valenton-Abendanio report because it had the longest well-documented incubation period. The usual incubation period for gonococcal conjunctivitis in the new-born and for gonococcal urethritis in the adult is less than a week. It is clear from the literature that the incubation period for gonococcal urethral infection can occasionally be longer and that some infected men never have urethritis develop. Although gonococcal conjunctivitis has been less extensively studied, these anecdotal reports suggest that conjunctival gonococcal infection also may have a prolonged incubation period or may remain asymptomatic.