Clinical and microbiological findings of vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls

Abstract Study objective To evaluate genital microbiological findings in prepubertal girls with vulvovaginitis and healthy controls. Design Prospective case-control study Setting Paediatric Outpatient unit of the Department of Paediatrics of the Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos from November 2014 to May 2017 Participants Fifty-two prepubertal girls aged 1–9 years diagnosed with vulvovaginitis, and 42 age-matched healthy controls. Interventions and main outcome measures. Samples for microbiological culture were collected by using sterile cotton swabs from the introitus and the lower third of the vagina from all study participants. Microbiological findings were analysed according to bacteria type and intensity of growth. Results Most of the vaginal microbiological swab results were positive for bacterial growth: 47 (90.4%) and 34 (80.9%) being similar in the study and control groups, respectively (p = 0.24). Sixteen (30.8%) and nine (21.4%) of the microbiological traits results in the case and control groups, respectively, were regarded as potential causative agents (p = 0.27). S. pyogenes was the most frequent pathogen in the study group (p = 0.03), all other microorganisms detected as either a pure or dominant growth in the control group, being considered opportunistic. Conclusions Vaginal bacterial culture results were positive in both prepubertal girls with vulvovaginitis and healthy controls. Non-specific vulvovaginitis without a dominant/isolated pathogen was seen to be more common than vulvovaginitis with a potential causative agent. Clinical symptoms were more frequent among girls when the potential infectious agent was identified.