Contribution of Gardnerella vaginalis to vaginitis in a general practice.
In a study of 154 adult women who presented to their general practitioner with vaginal symptoms 30 (20%) had Gardnerella vaginalis on its own and 51 (33%) had G vaginalis in combination with anaerobes or known pathogens. Thirty one (20%) patients were culture negative. Those who were culture negative had fewer symptoms and signs of vaginitis than those with G vaginalis alone or G vaginalis plus anaerobes. Those with known pathogens had more symptoms and signs than those with G vaginalis alone or G vaginalis plus anaerobes. Those with known pathogens plus G vaginalis had the most severe signs and symptoms of vaginitis. It is concluded that G vaginalis can cause vaginitis on its own, and it makes vaginitis worse when present with other organisms. G vaginalis was also found in 30 (21%) of the 138 control patients who, although they presented "asymptomatically," had worse signs than control patients without G vaginalis. It seems that G vaginalis can occur in a spectrum ranging from the uncomplaining patient to those with severe vaginitis.
D000293:Adolescent; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002689:Chlamydia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006194:Gardnerella vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006190:Haemophilus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014244:Trichomonas / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*