Non-specific vaginitis vis-a-vis Gardnerella vaginalis

One hundred patients of vaginitis along with 50 age matched control women were studied. Non-specific vaginitis (NSV) was diagnosed on the basis of the presence of at least any three of the four parameters which included presence of thin gray homogeneous discharge, pH of the discharge greater than or equal to 4.5, liberation of fishy odour from the discharge after adding 10 per cent KOH and presence of clue cells Using these criteria, NSV was diagnosed in 22 of the 100 patients and in 4 of 50 control women. Gardnerella vaginalis was cultured from 23 of the 26 women with NSV and 19 women without NSV (8 patients and 11 normal women). Women with NSV showed statistically significant difference in the presence of clue cells, amine test positivity and concentration of G. vaginalis as compared to women without NSV.