title: Clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of Amsel's criteria individually or in combinations of two for the clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study enrolled 135 women at UNICAMP, and evaluated Amsel's four clinical criteria. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated for each criterion individually, in combinations of two, and for the classic test with at least three criteria present. The Nugent method was used as gold standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most sensitive individual criteria were pH and vaginal discharge (97%), the latter having lowest specificity (26%). The criterion with highest specificity was the presence of clue cells (86%). The combination of two criteria showed sensitivity of 83% to 93%, and specificity of 82% to 94%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The accuracy of Amsel's clinical criteria individually or in combinations of two was as accurate as the presence of at least three criteria for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil. jsimoes@caism.unicamp.br
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Simoes
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Discacciati
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Brolazo
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Portugal
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Dini
authors.forename: M C M
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dantas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000166:cytology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*