ABSTRACT
Over the past 40 years researchers have sought to define and describe the pathobiology, etiologic factors, clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, pathologic sequelae, and effective treatments for bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is increasingly recognized as directly related to a number of serious obstetrical and gynecologic complications. The name bacterial vaginosis was selected to reflect the characteristic vaginal discharge and the polymicrobial nature of the condition as well as the relative absence of an inflammatory response. Three methods used to detect BV were compared with the standard clinical diagnosis proposed by Amsel. In a uniquely detailed cross-sectional study of the microbiology of acute salpingitis, Soper and colleagues identified vaginal fluid Gram stain findings of BV among 61.8% of women with laparoscopically confirmed pelvic inflammatory disease. Reliability of diagnosing bacterial vaginosis is improved by a standardized method of gram stain interpretation. Several effective treatments for BV are currently available.
