Proctitis associated with Neisseria cinerea misidentified as Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a child

An 8-year-old boy developed proctitis. Rectal swabs yielded a Neisseria sp. that was repeatedly identified by API (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.), Minitek (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.), and Bactec (Johnston Laboratories, Towson, Md.) methods as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Subsequent testing in a reference laboratory yielded an identification of Neisseria cinerea. It is suggested that identification of a Neisseria sp. isolated from genital or rectal sites in a child be confirmed by additional serological, growth, and antibiotic susceptibility tests and, if necessary, by a reference laboratory. The implications of such misidentifications are discussed.