Determination of iron status in women attending genitourinary clinics with pruritus vulvae.

OBJECTIVE: To compare iron status in women with pruritus vulvae and in asymptomatic controls. METHODS: 42 women with pruritus vulvae and 42 asymptomatic broadly age-matched controls were enrolled in this prospective study. The outcome measures assessed were serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity, haemoglobin and transferrin saturation. RESULTS: 12 (29%) participants and 10 (24%) controls were iron deficient; 1 (2%) participant and 1 (2%) control had laboratory-defined iron deficiency anaemia. Participants generally had lower levels of iron markers than controls, with differences (95% confidence interval (CI)) of -3.5 microg/l (-9.89 to 6.99) for serum ferritin (p = 0.73), -4.9 mmol/l (-8.12 to 0.12) for serum iron (p = 0.06) and -5.5 mmol/l (-5.75 to 1.46) for total iron-binding capacity (p = 0.24). No significant difference in haemoglobin or mean cell volume was shown between the two groups (haemoglobin: p = 0.17, 95% CI -0.83 to 0.15; mean cell volume: p = 0.15, 95% CI -4.59 to 0.73). CONCLUSION: This study does not provide evidence to support the routine determination of iron status in patients presenting to genitourinary medicine clinics with pruritus vulvae from all causes.

[Effect of immunotherapy on the level of immunoglobulin in serum of women with pruritus of the vulva]. / Wplyw immunoterapii na poziom immunoglobulin w surowicy u kobiet ze swiadem sromu.

This study was performed in 52 women in their early postmenopausal period, divided into two equal groups. The control group included women with menopausal symptoms only, women in the study group demonstrated also pruritus. All women were on estrogen replacement therapy, additionally a bacterial auto-vaccine was administered in the study group. The level of IgG, IgA, IgM was determined by radioimmunodiffusion, IgE with an immunoenzymatic method. It was found that women with pruritus of the vulva had lower levels of IgG and IgM and higher levels of IgA and IgE, as compared with the control group. The auto-vaccine caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase of IgG and IgM and significant (p < 0.05) decrease of IgA and IgE, as compared with initial values.

Pruritus in diabetes mellitus: investigation of prevalence and correlation with diabetes control.

Three hundred diabetic and 100 nondiabetic hospital outpatients (both groups of comparable age and sex distribution) were assessed for the presence of generalized and localized pruritus. Pruritus vulvae was significantly more common in diabetic women (18.4%) than in controls (5.6%) and was significantly associated with poor diabetes control (mean glycosylated hemoglobin level less than 12%). Other forms of localized pruritus were equally common in diabetic and nondiabetic patients, regardless of glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Generalized pruritus was present in 14 diabetic patients, but in 5 cases the symptom was ascribed to intercurrent illness or drug administration. Thus, generalized pruritus without apparent cause was present in only 8 diabetic patients (2.7%) and was not significantly more common than in nondiabetic patients. It is doubtful if diabetes mellitus per se should be regarded as a cause of generalized or localized pruritus, other than pruritus vulvae.