Vaginal secretion test results for common causes of vulvovaginitis
| Condition | pH | Saline microscopy ± 10% KOH | 10% KOH | Other test | Gold standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | < 4.5 | Normal flora, lactobacillus present, some white blood cells (WBCs) may be present | Not applicable | Clinical diagnosis | None |
| Candidiasis | < 4.5 | Hyphae, blastophores may be seen WBCs may be abundant | Fungal elements | Vaginal DNA probe a | Fungal culture |
| Bacterial vaginosis | > 4.5 | Clue cells, lactobacillus may be absent or reduced Coccobacillary flora | Positive whiff | Vaginal DNA probe | Gram stain (Nugent score) |
| Trichomoniasis | Normal or > 4.5 | Trichomonads may be seen WBCs may be abundant | Variable Vaginal | DNA probe a Trichomonas culture | Polymerase chain reaction test for Trichomonas vaginalis |
| Atrophic vaginitis | > 4.5 | Parabasal cells, decreased flora, some- times decreased vaginal epithelial cells | Not applicable | Vaginal Maturation Index | Vaginal Maturation Index |
| Desquamative inflammatory vaginitis | > 4.5 | Parabasal cells, sheets of WBCs, mixed flora | Not applicable | Clinical diagnosis | Clinical diagnosis |
↵a Vaginal DNA probe is the nonculture, nonamplified test (Affirm VPIII).