Open AccessCan group B streptococci cause symptomatic vaginitis?
Author(s) -
Honig E.,
Mouton J.W.,
van der Meijden W.I.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
infectious diseases in obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.656
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1098-0997
pISSN - 1064-7449
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-0997(1999)7:4<206::aid-idog9>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - vaginitis , asymptomatic , group b , medicine , asymptomatic carrier , antibiotics , disease , group a , colonization , immunology , dermatology , microbiology and biotechnology , gynecology , biology
Background Maternal cervicovaginal colonization with Lancefield group B streptococci (GBS) is an important risk factor for neonatal morbidity and mortality. About 15% of women are carriers of GBS. Usually, they are asymptomatic. Cases We describe two patients with symptomatic vaginitis for which no apparent cause was found. Both patients were heavily colonized with GBS. After antibiotic treatment, both became asymptomatic and culture negative, but after recolonization with GBS, symptoms resumed. This phenomenon was repeatedly observed. After emergence of resistance to antibiotics, local application of chlorhexidine appeared to be the only useful treatment. Conclusion We hypothesize that GBS‐vaginitis may be a possible disease entity. Although at present it is not clear why some patients become symptomatic, we speculate that the immunologic response is somehow selectively hampered in such patients. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:206–209, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.