[Quantitative study of vaginal flora during the menstrual cycle].
The aerobic and facultatively anaerobic vaginal flora of 242 healthy women were examined during menstrual cycles. The most frequently isolated microorganisms at the first premenstrual examination were coagulase-negative staphylococci (61%), followed by enterococci (25%), Gardnerella vaginalis (19%), diphtheroids (12%), group B streptococci (6.8%), Escherichia coli (5.4%) and Candida spp. (4%). The isolation rate of all species, except Candida and Gardnerella vaginalis increased during menstruation. The lowest isolation rate for Staphylococcus aureus was 0.9% prior to menstruation and it increased to 7.6% during menstruation. This may be of relevance with regard to the toxic shock syndrome. Gardnerella vaginalis was isolated in 37% of women at least once during the study, suggesting, that this species belongs to the normal vaginal flora.
Abteilung für Infektionshygiene, Technischen Universität München, Klinikum rechts der Isar.
A
A
Voss
C
C
Wallrauch-Schwarz
D
D
Milatovic
I
I
Braveny
J
J
Johannigmann
P
P
Hanke-Baier
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*