A total of twenty-four premenarcheal patients (median age, 6.6 years) with symptoms or signs of vulvovaginitis were. studied.
Vaginal discharge was found during examination in 14 of 21 patients who complained of discharge, and in one of 3 patients without a complaint of discharge. Convincing evidence of gonococcal or monilial infection was found in 7 of the 14 patients with discharge on wet smear and Gram stain of vaginal discharge, tut in none of the 10 patients without discharge. Moniliasis occurred in only one girl, 12 fears old. Six patients were found to have goncoccus-like microor-ganism, but no patient appeared to have trichomoniaais. Noninfectious causes were identified inone patient with and 5 without discharge the most common cause was poor hygiene, implicated in 3 patients. In 11 patients, no specific cause could he identified.
All patients with poor hygiene as the only cause, and most with no demonstrable etiology, recovered after being advised to institute improved perineal hygiene. Patients with vaginal discharge are likely to have specific infections, and so smear and Gram stain, if possible, cultures should be fallen.
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