Quantitative Untersuchung der Vaginalflora im Verlauf des Menstruationszyklus

The aerobic and facultatively anaerobic vaginal flora of 242 healthy women were examined during menstrual cycles. The most frequently isolated microorganisms at the first premenstrual examination were coagulase-negative staphylococci (61%), followed by enterococci (25%), Gardnerella vaginalis (19%), diphtheroids (12%), group B streptococci (6.8%), Escherichia coli (5.4%) and Candida spp. (4%). The isolation rate of all species, except Candida and Gardnerella vaginalis increased during menstruation. The lowest isolation rate for Staphylococcus aureus was 0.9% prior to menstruation and it increased to 7.6% during menstruation. This may be of relevance with regard to the toxic shock syndrome. Gardnerella vaginalis was isolated in 37% of women at least once during the study, suggesting, that this species belongs to the normal vaginal flora.