Abstract
Background
The diagnosis and treatment of vulvovaginitis in children is poorly managed because
it is difficult to determine whether the agent causing vulvovaginal inflammation is
a single bacterial species.
Study objective
This study retrospectively evaluated genital microbiological findings in prepubescent
girls with vulvovaginitis and then compared the findings to healthy controls without
discharge.
Methods
This was a retrospective case-control study of 483 prepubescent girls aged 2-10 years
with vulvovaginitis and 50 age-matched healthy asymptomatic controls. Data were collected
at the Pediatric General Outpatient Unit of the Hospital of the Bezmialem Vakıf University
from December 2015 to March 2021.
Results
Of the 483 positive vaginal cultures in the study group, 248 (51.3%) exhibited potential
causative agents. Conversely, 8 of 50 (16%) of the vaginal cultures in the control
group (P < .001) exhibited potential causative agents. Streptococcus pyogenes was the most frequently detected causative agent of vulvovaginitis in the study group.
S. pyogenes was present in specimens from 74 girls (15.8%) with symptoms of vulvovaginitis vs
1 (4.1%) specimen in the control group. Other specific organisms identified in the
study group were Escherichia coli (12%), Haemophilus influenzae (5%), Staphylococcus aureus (4.3%), Candida albicans (4.3%), and Streptococcus agalactia (3.3%).
Conclusions
Among prepubescent girls with vulvovaginitis, 51.3% of vaginal cultures exhibited
potential causative agents in the study group. Our microbiological data indicated
that the most common pathogens were S. pyogenes and E. coli.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 08, 2022
Accepted:
July 5,
2022
Received in revised form:
June 17,
2022
Received:
November 14,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
