Leucorrhea

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Leukorrhea (US) or leukorrhoea (Commonwealth) is a medical term that denotes a thick, whitish vaginal discharge. It is a natural defense mechanism the vagina uses to maintain its chemical balance, as well as to preserve the flexibility of the vaginal tissue. It may also result from inflammation or congestion of the vaginal mucosa. In cases where it is yellowish or gives off an odor, a doctor should be consulted since it could be a sign of several disease processes, including a STD.

Causes

There are many causes of leukorrhea, the usual one being estrogen imbalance i.e. increase or decrease in levels of. The amount of discharge may increase due to vaginal infection or STDs, in which case it becomes more yellow and foul-smelling; it is usually a non-pathological symptom secondary to inflammatory conditions of vagina or cervix.

Vaginal discharge is normal for a woman, and all women are different. Causes of change in discharge include infection, malignancy, and hormonal changes. It sometimes occurs before a girl has her first period, and is considered a sign of puberty.

Leukorrhea may occur normally during pregnancy. This is caused by increased bloodflow to the vagina due to increased estrogen. Female infants may have leukorrhea for a short time after birth due to their in-uterine exposure to estrogen.

After delivery, leukorrhea accompanied by backache and foul-smelling lochia (post-partum vaginal discharge, containing blood, mucus, and placental tissue) may suggest the failure of involution (the uterus returning to pre-pregnant size) due to infection. Investigations: wet smear, gram stain, culture, pap smear and biopsy.