A study of etiopathogenesis of vaginal discharge in a tertiary care hospital in North India
Keywords:
Bacterial vaginosis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, vaginal discharge, vulvovaginal candidiasisAbstract
Objective To study the etiopathogenesis of vaginal discharge among females of prepubertal, reproductive as well as post-menopausal age group.Methods Total of 100 females attending dermatology OPD with chief complaint of vaginal discharge were enrolled in this study over a period of 2 years. A detailed history, clinical examination along with relevant laboratory tests was done.Results The present study showed maximum incidence of bacterial vaginosis (44%) followed by vulvovaginal candidiasis (25%), non-specific discharge (14%), trichomoniasis (11%), gonorrhea (6%). In our study, 87% patients were in the reproductive age group.Conclusion The pattern of various causes of vaginal discharge observed in our study was comparable to other studies. This research emphasizes the need of identifying the definite etiology with appropriate laboratory assessment for early and specific treatment.References
Melville C, Nandwani R, Bigrigg A, McMahon AD. A comparative study of clinical management strategies for vaginal discharge in family planning and genitourinary medicine settings. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2005;31:26-30.
Singh AJ. Vaginal discharge: Its causes and associated symptoms as perceived by rural North Indian women. Indian J Community Med. 2007;32:22-6
Puri KJ, Madan A, Bajaj K. Incidence of various causes of vaginal discharge among sexually active females in age group 20-40 years. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2003;69:122-5.
Greendale GA, Judd HL. The menopause: health implications and clinical management. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1993;41:426-36.
Cauci S, Driussi S, De Santo DD, Penacchioni P, Lannicelli T, Lanzafame P et al. Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and vaginal flora changes in peri- and postmenopausal women. J Clin Microbiol. 2002;40:2147-52.
Spence D, Melville C. Vaginal discharge: clinical review. BMJ. 2007;335:1147-51.
Helen Mitchell. Vaginal discharge - causes, diagnosis, and treatment. BMJ. 2004;328:1306-8.
Padubidry VG, Daftary SN, editors. Howkins & Bourne Shaw’s Textbook of Gynaecology, 15th edition. Delhi: Elsevier Health Science; 2010. P. 127-150.
Natarajan S, Kumar P. Changing clinical profile of vaginal trichomoniasis. Obstet Gynaecol. 1990;40:809-11.
Hayes L, Creighton SM. Prepubertal vaginal discharge. Obstet Gynaecol. 2007;9:159-63.
Stricker T, Navratil F, Sennhauser FH. Vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls. Arch Dis Child. 2003;88:324-6
Mylonas I, Friese K. Genital discharge in women. MMW Fortschr Med. 2007;149(35-36):42-6.
