Bacterial vaginosis: prevalence in an Italian population of asymptomatic pregnant women and diagnostic aspects.

The present study has been carried out with the main objective of determining the prevalence rate of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in a population of asymptomatic pregnant women (8th to 9th month of pregnancy). Out of a total 1,441 patients examined BV was found to be present in 70 (4.9%). The diagnosis was made when an analysis of the vaginal discharge revealed the simultaneous presence of at least three out of four of the following laboratory indices: (1) direct Gram stain positive (bacterial flora mixed with Gram-negative coccobacilli and variable-gram predominant over the lactobacillus flora); (2) pH > 4.5; (3) positive odour test with KOH 10%; (4) presence of clue cells. After a discussion of the principal laboratory and clinical signs presently used for the diagnosis of BV, the authors suggest the exclusion of the evaluation of the appearance of the vaginal discharge from the standard diagnostic criteria. Further, three diagnostic methods are hypothesized for use in different settings.

[Muco-purulent cervicitis: a frequent but little-known pathology. Clinical and laboratory considerations]. / La cervicite mucopurulenta: una patologia frequente ma poco conosciuta. Considerazioni cliniche e di laboratorio.

In order to assess the frequency of cervicitis, to investigate its aetiological causes and to open the debate upon this subject, the authors examined 144 not hospitalized women aging between 18 and 47. They were all in their fertile period and not pregnant. The diagnosis of MPC was given on the basis of the evaluation of the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PNL) found on the endocervical smears, which had been previously coloured by the Gram method: the patients with an average number of PNL greater than 10 per microscopical field at a magnification of 1,000 were considered suffering from MPC, while those with a number of PNL less than 10 formed a group of control. Statistical methods were applied to the two different groups to verify the existence of any relationship between clinical, anamnestic and microbiologic features and MPC. The two groups were compared even after excluding those patients with a presence of Trichomonas vaginalis or yeasts and those suffering from bacterial vaginosis (BV). No significant relationship was found between the isolated microorganisms and MPC, while BV turned out to be related negatively. The objective signs of ectopia and erythema and the pH of the vaginal secretion turned out to be related significantly only after excluding from the selection those patients with a vaginal pathology, while including them, the association turned out to be significant only as to ectopia. The authors point out that: a) MPC represents the most frequent clinical condition; b) the greater part of MPC appears to have an unknown aetiology.