Isolation of Gardnerella vaginalis in the diagnosis of sexual abuse in children

INTRODUCTION: The study of sexual transmitted diseases is more and more frequent in patient with suspicion of sexual abuse, and this help to the final medical diagnosis. Organisms like Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Treponema indicate a sure sexual contact. However the role of the rest of organisms in the sexual abuse is more difficult of specifying. OBJECTIVE: To know the role of the Gardnerella vaginalis in the diagnosis of sexual abuse in patient with this possible diagnosis. METHODS: Retrospective study of 135 girls with suspicion of abuse, visited from May of 1997 to February of 1998. Vaginal swabs were taken from 45 of 135 girls evaluated. RESULTS: In five patients the vaginal culture were positive to Gardnerella. The characteristics of these five patients are described (age, aggressor, type and duration of the abuse, physical exploration and final diagnosis). All our patients were the pubertal or prepubertal girls. In these patients the final diagnosis settled with the clinical history and the physical exploration, without keeping in mind the result of the culture. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to discard sexual abuse in all prepubertal girl with a positive culture with Gardnerella vaginalis, being difficult to specify the value of the Gardnerella in the adolescent patients.