[Estimation of cytological smears in women with Gardnerella vaginalis infections of vagina and uterine cervix].

Among micro-organisms infecting vagina whose dominant genus is Gardnerella vaginalis anaerobic bacteria are often present. Well-known damaging tissues and cells features of anaerobic bacteria are taken under consideration as factors which are conductive to generating pathological changes in cervical epithelium. The aim of this study was evaluation of cytological smears (Pap smear, Gram stain and H + E stain) in women with Gardnerella vaginalis infections of vagina and uterine cervix. The research was carried out on 1180 women hospitalised in the prior of fourteen months in Obstetrics-Gynaecological Department of the Municipal Hospital in Kielce. It was proved that characteristic microscopic feature of vagina and uterine cervix Gardnerella vaginalis infection is the absence of lactic acid bacillus, Lactobacillus vaginalis in vaginal contents and a presence of a small number of polynuclear neutrophil leucocytes. Marker cells (clue cells) are easily recognised in microscopic image in vaginal smears stained by Gram's method as well as Papanicolaou method. High sensitivity and specificity of these markers suggest usefulness of cytological smears in diagnosing Gardnerella vaginalis infections.