An evaluation of vaginal symptoms in women with Crohn's disease

There are limited data available that address the prevalence of vaginal complaints in women with Crohn's disease. This study assessed the frequency of vaginal involvement and types of vaginal symptoms in women with Crohn's disease managed at a university inflammatory bowel disease program. The charts of 50 women with Crohn's disease seen consecutively during a three-month period were reviewed for the presence of vaginal involvement. The intestinal distribution of Crohn's disease [colonic, small bowel (SB), colonic/SB] was determined, and the presence of vaginal symptoms and types of complaints were assessed. Eleven of the 50 women (22%) described vaginal symptoms. Vaginal complaints included ten patients with labial swelling and one patient with passage of stool through the vagina. Nine of the 11 women with vaginal complaints also had concurrent intestinal symptoms and perineal manifestations (P < 0.001). This study suggests that vaginal involvement in Crohn's disease may be a more frequent phenomenon than previously reported.