title: The effects of postmenopausal Vitamin D treatment on vaginal atrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of Vitamin D for relieving vaginal atrophy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our cross-sectional study, 60 eligible women were consecutively identified among patients who were followed in physical medicine and rehabilitation's outpatient clinic, during the period March June 2001. The sample consisted of 30 postmenopausal women on 1,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D (calcitriol) treatment, 30 postmenopausal women taking neither hormone replacement nor osteoporosis treatment. Vaginal atrophy was determined by symptoms, physical examination and maturation index (MI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean physical findings score in Vitamin D treatment (VDT) group was significantly lower than the mean physical findings score in the group without treatment. Symptom scores were lower in both groups and there was not significantly difference between two groups. As maturation indices: in VDT group, superficial cells proportion was significantly higher and basal, parabasal cells proportion was lower than in the group without treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of current study seem to indicate that vaginal tissue may be a new target organ for therapeutically applied Vitamin D analogues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, Denizli, Turkey. basakyildirim@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Basak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Babur
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaleli
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Düzcan
authors.forename: Oya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Topuz
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014621:Vagina / Q000473:pathology; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D