Bacterial vaginosis Amsel criteria

Bacterial vaginosis Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sara Mehrsefat, M.D. [2]

Overview

For clinicians, BV is a common vaginal condition characterized by at least three of the following four Amsel criteria include thin, gray/white discharge, malodorous “fishy” discharge upon adding 10 % potassium hydroxide, high vaginal pH (>4.5), and identification of clue cells

Amsel criteria

For clinicians, BV is characterized by at least three of the following four Amsel criteria:

1. Thin, gray/white discharge
2. Malodorous “fishy” discharge upon adding 10 % potassium hydroxide
3. High vaginal pH (>4.5)
4. Identification of vaginal epithelial cells heavily coated with bacteria (clue cells)