Features of Bacterial vaginosis are all of the following except: September 2010

Ans. A: Abundant lactobacillus To make a diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis, a speculum examination and subsequent swabs from high in the vagina should be obtained. These swabs should be tested for: A characteristic "fishy" odor on wet mount. This test, called the whiff test, is performed by adding a small amount of potassium hydroxide to a microscopic slide containing the vaginal discharge. A characteristic fishy odor is considered a positive whiff test and is suggestive of bacterial vaginosis. Loss of acidity. To control bacterial growth, the vagina is normally slightly acidic with a pH of 3.8-4.2. A swab of the discharge is put onto litmus paper to check its acidity. A pH greater than 4.5 is considered alkaline and is suggestive of bacterial vaginosis. The presence of clue cells on wet mount. Similar to the whiff test, the test for clue cells is performed by placing a drop of sodium chloride solution on a slide containing vaginal discharge. If present, clue cells can be visualized under a microscope. They are so-named because they give a clue to the reason behind the discharge. These are epithelial cells that are coated with bacteria.