The recommended medium for recovery of Mycoplasma pneumoniae from clinical specimens is

• A. Charcoal Yeast Extract Medium
• B. Fletcher Semisolid Medium
• C. Middlebrook
• D. SP4 Agar

Answer: (D)

Mycoplasma pneumoniae needs cholesterol and a rich, specially formulated environment to grow, since it lacks a cell wall and has very particular nutrient requirements. SP4 Agar is a medium specifically designed for Mollicutes like M. pneumoniae, providing cholesterol and other essential nutrients in a way that supports their growth and allows colonies to form on a solid surface. This makes it the most suitable choice for recovering these organisms from clinical specimens, as it gives reliable, visible colonies (often with the characteristic fried-egg appearance) after incubation.

Charcoal Yeast Extract Medium is not optimized for mycoplasmas and is typically used for other organisms (such as Legionella). Fletcher semisolid medium is an older option that can support growth in some contexts but is not as consistently effective as SP4 for direct isolation from clinical samples. Therefore, SP4 Agar is the preferred medium for recovery of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.