[Detection of Gardnerella vaginalis in the pathogen spectrum of sexually transmissible diseases in vulvovaginitis].

Gardnerella vaginalis, a sexually transmittable organism, is regarded as the indicator of the so-called "non-specific vaginitis". The isolation rate of G. vaginalis from 72 women attending our out-patient department during one year because of urogenital complaints was higher in pretreated than in untreated patients. In genital swabs taken from untreated patients, G. vaginalis could be isolated only in 17%, whereas this was observed in 38% of the specimens from women pretreated with various antimicrobial agents. In 9% of the women without vaginal discharge G. vaginalis was isolated. In specimens obtained from 53% of the women positive for G. vaginalis further organisms such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma spp. and B-Streptococci could be isolated. Asymptomatic infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (1) and C. trachomatis (4) were also observed. The present study clearly demonstrates that a broad microbiological examination is essential for specific therapy in vaginitis. Even if unspecific vaginitis is diagnosed by the presence of clue-cells, increased vaginal pH and fishy odour, a combined infection by further sexually transmittable organisms, especially N. gonorrhoeae, is to be excluded.