Bacterial vaginosis: epidemiologic, clinical and diagnostic updates

Background and aims. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one the more frequently identified genital syndrome among childbearing aged women. The basic condition that generates this condition is a modification in the vaginal microbiota. The aim of this paper is to briefly review the current status of the art of BV and to report the results of a pilot study performed with an innovative PCR based technique. vaginae has been identified in 20 samples by the molecular approach and Lactobacillus spp. was identified in 19 samples (by culture) and in 32 by PCR. The overall diagnosis of BV was made in 9 patients by standard techniques and in 7 by applying the molecular approach. (Cohen’s kappa test: 0,84). The findings of this study clearly demonstrate that the joint use of the routine cul- ture-based techniques with the multiplex PCR methods amplifies by far the sensitivity of the overall diagnostic workflow of BV.