Accurate 16S Absolute Quantification Sequencing Revealed Vaginal Microecological Composition and Dynamics During Mixed Vaginitis Treatment With Fufang FuRong Effervescent Suppository.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of mixed vaginitis are more complicated than single pathogenic infections, and there may be adverse reactions and several contraindications to conventional antibiotic therapy. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effects of Fufang Furong Effervescent Suppository for the management of aerobic vaginitis (AV) mixed with bacterial vaginosis (BV) using Accurate 16S absolute quantification sequencing (Accu16S). Methods: In the present randomized, blind, multi-center clinical trial, women (20 to 55 years) who had received a diagnosis of AV+BV were randomly assigned into clindamycin positive control (n = 41) and Fufang Furong Effervescent Suppository (n = 39) groups. The follow-up occurred in three time periods (V1: -2~0 days; V2: 15-17 days; V3: 40 ± 3 days). At each visit, two vaginal swabs, one for clinical evaluation and one for laboratory examination, were taken from each patient. The Nugent score, Donders' score, drug-related complications, recurrence rates, and microecological changes of vaginal swabs were assessed in the time three periods. Results: At baseline, the two groups were similar in frequency of presentation with vaginal burning, odor, abnormal discharge, and itching. No meaningful differences in Nugent and Donders' scores were detected between the two groups at stage V2 (Nugent: p = 0.67; Donders': p = 0.85) and V3 (Nugent: p = 0.97; Donders: p = 0.55). The Furong group presented fewer complications compared to the Clindamycin group. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.15). Additionally, Accu16S indicated that the total abundance of bacteria in both groups sharply decreased in stage V2, but slightly increased in V3. In stage V3, the absolute abundance of Lactobacillus in the Furong group was considerably higher compared to untreated samples (p < 0.05). On the other hand, no momentous increase was detected in the Clindamycin group (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Fufang Furong Effervescent Suppository can be as effective as clindamycin cream in the management of AV+BV while may restore the vagina microecosystem better.

Management of persistent vaginitis.

With vaginitis remaining a common condition that leads women to seek care, it is not surprising that some women develop chronic vulvovaginal problems that are difficult to diagnose and treat. With a differential diagnosis that encompasses vulvar disorders and infectious and noninfectious causes of vaginitis, accurate diagnosis is the cornerstone of choosing effective therapy. Evaluation should include a symptom-specific history, careful vulvar and vaginal examination, and office-based tests (vaginal pH, amine test, saline and 10% potassium hydroxide microscopy). Ancillary tests, especially yeast culture with speciation, are frequently crucial to obtaining a correct diagnosis. A heavy but normal physiologic discharge can be determined by excluding other causes. With vulvovaginal candidiasis, differentiating between Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida infection has important treatment ramifications. Most patients with C albicans infections can be successfully treated with maintenance antifungal therapy, usually with fluconazole. Although many non-albicans Candida, particularly Candida glabrata, may at times be innocent bystanders, vaginal boric acid therapy is an effective first choice for many true non-albicans Candida infections. Recurrent bacterial vaginosis, a difficult therapeutic challenge, can often be controlled with maintenance therapy. Multiple options, especially high-dose tinidazole, have been used for metronidazole-resistant trichomoniasis. With the aging of the U.S. population, atrophic vaginitis and desquamative inflammatory vaginitis, both associated with hypoestrogenism, are encountered frequently in women with persistent vaginitis.

Fisiopatología y tratamiento de la atrofia genitourinaria en mujeres / Pathophysiology and therapy of urogenital atrophy in women

La involución del tracto genital femenino refleja su integración con los cambios que sufre el eje hipotálamo-hipofisario-ovárico. El descenso de los niveles de estradiol conlleva una serie de efectos adversos, incluidos los relativos a las vías urinarias inferiores. El cambio más importante es la atrofia vaginal: la mucosa vaginal se vuelve más fina y seca, lo cual puede producir incomodidad vaginal, sequedad, quemazón, prurito y dispareunia. El epitelio vaginal puede presentar cambios inflamatorios y ser un factor que contribuya a los síntomas urinarios, tales como frecuencia, urgencia, disuria, incontinencia, e infecciones recurrentes. Por otra parte, se ha sugerido que los niveles bajos de estrógenos pueden afectar los tejidos periuretrales y contribuir a la laxitud de la pelvis y la incontinencia de esfuerzo. Relacionados con el hipoestrogenismo, los cambios en el pH y la flora vaginal pueden predisponer a las mujeres posmenopáusicas a las infecciones del tracto urinario. La terapia hormonal local en forma de cremas, comprimidos o supositorios es la base del tratamiento de la atrofia genital. Además, otras vías de administración de hormonas, tanto local como sistémica, también han demostrado ser válidas. Sin embargo, a pesar de que los beneficios del reemplazo con estrógenos en la prevención de la atrofia vaginal y la reducción de la incidencia de los síntomas están bien establecidos, este tipo de tratamiento está contraindicado en algunas mujeres y no es una opción aceptable para otras. Pero además, la ruta óptima de administración del tratamiento hormonal, el régimen, las dosis, y las alternativas no hormonales para mejorar los síntomas y la calidad de vida de la población posmenopáusica no han sido completamente estudiados. Esta revisión se centra en los cambios del envejecimiento vaginal e intenta presentar una sinopsis de la fisiopatología y el tratamiento de la atrofia vaginal y la vaginitis atrófica.

Fisiopatología y tratamiento de la atrofia genitourinaria en mujeres / Pathophysiology and therapy of urogenital atrophy in women

La involución del tracto genital femenino refleja su integración con los cambios que sufre el eje hipotálamo-hipofisario-ovárico. El descenso de los niveles de estradiol conlleva una serie de efectos adversos, incluidos los relativos a las vías urinarias inferiores. El cambio más importante es la atrofia vaginal: la mucosa vaginal se vuelve más fina y seca, lo cual puede producir incomodidad vaginal, sequedad, quemazón, prurito y dispareunia. El epitelio vaginal puede presentar cambios inflamatorios y ser un factor que contribuya a los síntomas urinarios, tales como frecuencia, urgencia, disuria, incontinencia, e infecciones recurrentes. Por otra parte, se ha sugerido que los niveles bajos de estrógenos pueden afectar los tejidos periuretrales y contribuir a la laxitud de la pelvis y la incontinencia de esfuerzo. Relacionados con el hipoestrogenismo, los cambios en el pH y la flora vaginal pueden predisponer a las mujeres posmenopáusicas a las infecciones del tracto urinario. La terapia hormonal local en forma de cremas, comprimidos o supositorios es la base del tratamiento de la atrofia genital. Además, otras vías de administración de hormonas, tanto local como sistémica, también han demostrado ser válidas. Sin embargo, a pesar de que los beneficios del reemplazo con estrógenos en la prevención de la atrofia vaginal y la reducción de la incidencia de los síntomas están bien establecidos, este tipo de tratamiento está contraindicado en algunas mujeres y no es una opción aceptable para otras. Pero además, la ruta óptima de administración del tratamiento hormonal, el régimen, las dosis, y las alternativas no hormonales para mejorar los síntomas y la calidad de vida de la población posmenopáusica no han sido completamente estudiados. Esta revisión se centra en los cambios del envejecimiento vaginal e intenta presentar una sinopsis de la fisiopatología y el tratamiento de la atrofia vaginal y la vaginitis atrófica. (AU)

Alternative therapies in women with chronic vaginitis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the use of complementary alternative medicines in women with chronic vaginitis and to evaluate epidemiologic factors associated with these treatments. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, patients with chronic vaginitis completed a questionnaire about past diagnoses and treatments. Information regarding demographics, medical and social history, perceived mental and emotional stress, and current symptoms was collected. All patients underwent a standard physical examination and laboratory testing and were assigned a specific diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 481 women were enrolled; 64.9% used complementary alternative medicines. The most common treatments were yogurt and acidophilus pills. In univariate analysis, compared with nonusers, users of complementary alternative medicines were younger (83.4% younger than 50 compared with 73.1%; P=.032), not African American (11.9% compared with 21.3%; P=.018), had increased measures of perceived stress (P=.008), and reported that their symptoms interfered with both work (59.1% compared with 40.6%; P=.001) and social lives (57.9% compared with 40.2%; P=.001). Patients using complementary alternative medicines had seen more doctors (median 2 compared with 1; P<.001) and were more likely to report a history of vulvovaginal candidiasis (98.4% compared with 90.5%; P<.001) or bacterial vaginosis (34.3% compared with 22.8%; P=.007). In the multivariable analysis, interference with social life, higher number of doctors seen, symptoms of itching or burning, and previous diagnoses of yeast infection remained associated with alternative medicine use. A current diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis was not associated with alternative medicine use. CONCLUSION: Complementary alternative medicine use is common in women with chronic vaginitis, particularly in those who are young, have more disruptive symptoms, and report greater stress. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Determining the cause of vulvovaginal symptoms.

Both patients and clinicians may incorrectly diagnose vulvovaginitis symptoms. Patients often self-treat with over-the-counter antifungals or home remedies, although they are unable to distinguish among the possible causes of their symptoms. Telephone triage practices and time constraints on office visits may also hamper effective diagnosis. This review is a guide to distinguish potential causes of vulvovaginal symptoms. The first section describes both common and uncommon conditions associated with vulvovaginitis, including infectious vulvovaginitis, allergic contact dermatitis, systemic dermatoses, rare autoimmune diseases, and neuropathic vulvar pain syndromes. The focus is on the clinical presentation, specifically 1) the absence or presence and characteristics of vaginal discharge; 2) the nature of sensory symptoms (itch and/or pain, localized or generalized, provoked, intermittent, or chronic); and 3) the absence or presence of mucocutaneous changes, including the types of lesions observed and the affected tissue. Additionally, this review describes how such features of the clinical presentation can help identify various causes of vulvovaginitis.

Lactational atrophic vaginitis.

Atrophic vaginitis is typically associated with the hypoestrogenic state of menopause. However, lactation also decreases estrogen levels and can cause symptomatic urogenital atrophy. Discussion of this clinical phenomenon in the literature is minimal. A case report of atrophic vaginitis at 13 months postpartum is presented. Mechanisms of action, evaluation, and treatments for lactational atrophic vaginitis are reviewed with recommendations for further research on this topic.

[Gardnerella vaginalis infection. Clinical aspects, diagnosis and therapy]. / Gardnerella vaginalis-Infektion. Klinik, Diagnostik und Therapie.

The Gardnerella vaginalis-infection of the urogenital tract is of clinical importance in females and of epidemiological importance in males. Females suffer from Bacterial Vaginosis, with a foul-smelling grey vaginal discharge with a pH of 5.0-5.5 which contains "clue cells", and from Sepsis. The isolation and identification of G. vaginalis i necessary in man. If G. vaginalis-infection is suspected, simultaneous infections with further STD-agents such as N. gonorrhoeae, C. trachomatis etc should be excluded. Metronidazole (1 g/day for 5 days) is the drug of choice in G. vaginalis-infection.

Influence of metronidazole treatment on the vaginal microbiological flora.

In order to study the effects of metronidazole on the microbiology of the vagina in general and on Gardnerella vaginalis infection in particular, quantitative aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures were performed before and 4 weeks after initiation of metronidazole treatment, 400 mg three times daily for five days. Bacteriological results were compared with microscopic findings and with the results of "amine testing" with potassium hydroxide and with other clinical variables. We found a reasonably good correlation between the finding of clue cells, positive amine test and symptomatic Gardnerella infection. Treatment with metronidazole resulted in most cases in recolonization with lactobacilli and disappearance of clinical symptoms and findings, including clue cells, although G. vaginalis could still be detected.