Bacterial vaginosis pathophysiology: Difference between revisions
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
====Images==== | ====Images==== | ||
[[image:PHIL_3719_thumb.jpg|center|thumb|This photomicrograph reveals bacteria adhering to vaginal epithelial cells known as “clue cells”]] | [[image:PHIL_3719_thumb.jpg|center|thumb|This photomicrograph reveals bacteria adhering to vaginal epithelial cells known as “clue cells”]] | ||
===Bacterial Vaginosis during Pregnancy=== | |||
Pregnant women with BV more often have babies who are born premature or with low birth weight (low birth weight is less than 5.5 pounds). | |||
The bacteria that cause BV can sometimes infect the [[uterus]] (womb) and [[fallopian tubes]] (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus). This type of infection is called [[pelvic inflammatory disease]] (PID). PID can cause [[infertility]] or damage the fallopian tubes enough to increase the future risk of [[ectopic pregnancy]] and infertility. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube which can rupture. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 14:15, 26 November 2012
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
|
Bacterial vaginosis Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Bacterial vaginosis pathophysiology On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Bacterial vaginosis pathophysiology |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Bacterial vaginosis pathophysiology |
Pathophysiology
Microscopic Pathology
Bacterial vaginosis is actually a syndrome resulting from an imbalance in the different types of bacteria in the vagina (also called vaginal "flora"). A healthy vagina has numerous organisms that naturally live there. The vast majority--about 95 percent--belong to a type of bacteria called lactobacillus.
There are several different kinds of lactobacillus, at least one of which is responsible for keeping the vagina's pH at normal levels. When these levels become unbalanced, certain microorganisms may overtake the normal flora leading to a low-grade infection that often produces an abnormal vaginal discharge.
Images
Bacterial Vaginosis during Pregnancy
Pregnant women with BV more often have babies who are born premature or with low birth weight (low birth weight is less than 5.5 pounds).
The bacteria that cause BV can sometimes infect the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus). This type of infection is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause infertility or damage the fallopian tubes enough to increase the future risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube which can rupture.