Abstract
1) A total 9 strains of Corynebacterium was isolated, of which 6 strains (7.5%) were derived from 81 samples of apical foci, and 3 strains from the same number of root canals (3.8%). The occurrence of this organism was considerably low in the present study as compared to previous reports. 2) From both root canal and apical focus of a tooth 4 strains of Corynebacterium were isolated in pairs in two instances. 3) Of these 9 strains, 4 strains conformed to C. pseudodiphtheriticum, 1 strain to C. xerosis according to the description of Bergey's manual, but the remaining 3 strains did not fit in any of Bergey's classification. 4) These 3 strains could be classified into 2 of Kodama's group II and I of Kodama's group VI, according to his classification. 5) Of 4 strains isolated simultaneously from the same tooth's root canal and apical focus, those from case 6 were identified as C. pseudodiphtheriticum, and those from case 7 as belonging to Kodama's group II.
