Background

The diagnosis and treatment of vulvovaginitis in children is poorly managed because it is difficult to determine whether the agent causing vulvovaginal inflammation is a single bacterial species.

Study objective

This study retrospectively evaluated genital microbiological findings in prepubescent girls with vulvovaginitis and then compared the findings to healthy controls without discharge.

Methods

This was a retrospective case-control study of 483 prepubescent girls aged 2-10 years with vulvovaginitis and 50 age-matched healthy asymptomatic controls. Data were collected at the Pediatric General Outpatient Unit of the Hospital of the Bezmialem Vakıf University from December 2015 to March 2021.

Results

Of the 483 positive vaginal cultures in the study group, 248 (51.3%) exhibited potential causative agents. Conversely, 8 of 50 (16%) of the vaginal cultures in the control group (P < .001) exhibited potential causative agents. Streptococcus pyogenes was the most frequently detected causative agent of vulvovaginitis in the study group. S. pyogenes was present in specimens from 74 girls (15.8%) with symptoms of vulvovaginitis vs 1 (4.1%) specimen in the control group. Other specific organisms identified in the study group were Escherichia coli (12%), Haemophilus influenzae (5%), Staphylococcus aureus (4.3%), Candida albicans (4.3%), and Streptococcus agalactia (3.3%).

Conclusions

Among prepubescent girls with vulvovaginitis, 51.3% of vaginal cultures exhibited potential causative agents in the study group. Our microbiological data indicated that the most common pathogens were S. pyogenes and E. coli.

中文翻译：

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患有外阴阴道炎的青春期前女孩的临床症状和微生物学发现

背景

儿童外阴阴道炎的诊断和治疗管理不善，因为很难确定引起外阴阴道炎症的病原体是否是单一细菌种类。

学习目标

本研究回顾性评估了患有外阴阴道炎的青春期前女孩的生殖器微生物学发现，然后将这些发现与未出院的健康对照者进行了比较。

方法

这是一项回顾性病例对照研究，纳入了 483 名患有外阴阴道炎的 2-10 岁青春期前女孩和 50 名年龄匹配的健康无症状对照者。数据于 2015 年 12 月至 2021 年 3 月在 Bezmialem Vakıf 大学医院儿科普通门诊部收集。

结果

在研究组的 483 个阳性阴道培养物中，248 个 (51.3%) 表现出潜在的病原体。相反，对照组 50 个阴道培养物中有 8 个 (16%) ( P < .001) 显示出潜在的致病因子。化脓性链球菌是研究组中最常检测到的外阴阴道炎病原体。化脓性链球菌存在于 74 名有外阴阴道炎症状的女孩 (15.8%) 的标本中，而对照组中有 1 名 (4.1%) 标本。研究组中发现的其他特定生物体为大肠杆菌(12%)、流感嗜血杆菌(5%)、金黄色葡萄球菌(4.3%)、白色念珠菌(4.3%) 和无乳链球菌(3.3%)。

结论

在患有外阴阴道炎的青春期前女孩中，研究组中 51.3% 的阴道培养物显示出潜在的病原体。我们的微生物学数据表明，最常见的病原体是化脓性链球菌和大肠杆菌。