Genital Symptoms Flashcards
What do genital symptoms include?
- Discharge
- Pain
- Rashes
- Lumps/Swellings
- Cuts, sores, ulcers
- Itching
- Change in appearance
- Sense of things not being right
What could be causing genital symptoms (3 categories)?
- STI
- Other microbial problem
- Non-microbial
What is vulvovaginal candidosis?
Yeast infection
What is the most common causative organism for vulvovaginal candidosis?
Candida albicans (70%)
Where is vulvovaginal candidosis usually acquired from?
The bowel
What is vulvovaginal candidosis usually called if it is symptomatic, and what are the symptoms?
Thrush
- Itch
- Thick, ‘cottage cheese’ discharge (or can just be increased amount)
What makes vulvovaginal candidosis more likely to occur?
- Diabetes, oral steroids
- Immune suppression incl HIV
- Pregnancy
- Reproductive age group (oestrogen…glycogen = food for yeast)
How do you diagnose vaginal thrush?
- History
- Vaginal pH (thrush same as normal, bacterial different)
- Examination findings
What would be the examination findings of vaginal thrush?
- Fissuring
- Erythema with satellite lesions
- Characteristic discharge
How do you treat vaginal thrush?
(If mild it will self correct and woman may not need treatment)
- Azole antifungals (clotrimazole, fluconazole)
What is the commonest cause of abnormal vaginal discharge?
Bacterial vaginosis
What are the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis?
- Asymptomatic in 50%
- Watery grey/yellow ‘fishy’ discharge
- May be worse after period/sex
- Sometimes sore/itch from dampness
What triad of problems causes BV?
- Reduction of lactobacilli (not there to produce H2O2)
- Overgrowth of BV associated bacteria
- Raised pH
What are the more significant complications of BV?
- Endometritis if uterine instrumentation/delivery
- Associated with premature labour
- Increases risk of HIV acquisition
How is BV diagnosed?
- History
- Thin, homogenous discharge
- pH
- Gram stained smear of vaginal discharge
