Comparisons between direct microscopic and cultural methods for recognition of Corynebacterium vaginale in women with vaginitis.
The frequency with which clue cells could be detected in Gram-stained vaginal smears and/or cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) smears was compared with the frequency of Corynebacterium vaginale (Haemophilus vaginalis) isolation in a group of 236 female patients, of whom 221 had vaginitis. Vaginal clue cells were found most often in women from whom C. vaginale was isolated (P = 0.00006) whereas, conversely, clue cells in cervical Pap smears were reported more frequently in women with negative cultures for this organism (P = 0.006). C. vaginale isolations were made more frequently from women with both vaginal and cervical clue cells reported (P = 0.000088). However, the combined false positive-false negative vaginal clue cell rate in the patients studied was 36.5%. Neither the detection of vaginal clue cells nor the isolation of C. vaginale was significantly affected by whether or not patients had trichomoniasis (P = 0.25). Trichomonas vaginalis detection in cervical Pap smears and vaginal isolation were related (P = 0.00005), whereas the same relationship was not significant for fungi (P = greater than 0.05).
D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006194:Gardnerella vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006190:Haemophilus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology