BV and Endometritis Link Uncovered in New Study

A study¹ was conducted into the endometrial microbiology and the way tissue is altered in a disease state (histopathology) in women with symptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV).

The women did not have any signs or symptoms of upper genital tract disease or any other vaginal or cervical infections.

Endometrial biopsies were performed on 41 women who had each noted vaginal discharge or pelvic pain at a sexual health clinic. There was no evidence of gonorrhoea or chlamydia.

Twenty-two women were diagnosed with BV via Gram stain, while 19 women had no evidence of BV on Gram stain. The biopsies were evaluated for evidence of sexually transmitted infections and checked for evidence of inflammation.

The biopsies were tested for gonorrhoea, mycoplasma species and Ureaplasma urealtyicum, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and chlamydia and inflammation (endometritis).

Results of the study

Ten of 22 women with BV had chronic endometritis, compared with one out of 19 of the controls. BV-related bacteria were cultured from nine of 11 women with, and eight of 30 women without, chronic (plasma cell) endometritis.

Women with BV were found to have more chronic endometritis than women without BV.

References

1.
KORN A, BOLAN G, PADIAN N, OHMSMITH M, SCHACHTER J, LANDERS D. Plasma cell endometritis in women with symptomatic bacterial vaginosis. Obstetrics & Gynecology. Published online March 1995:387-390. doi:10.1016/0029-7844(94)00400-8