| Abstrakt: |
1. A comparison of three techniques for the diagnosis of vaginal trichomoniasis indicated that a simple culture method is superior to the hanging drop and Papanicolaou smears.2. In a total of 500 patients {ce:italic}on a single examination{/ce:italic}, the culture method was positive in 80 (16 per cent) whereas the hanging drop was positive in 61 (12.5 per cent). The Papanicolaou smear was positive in 28, or 9.3 per cent, of 300 patients. The differences were statistically significant. In no instance was a case positive by hanging drop test or Papanicolaou smear and negative by culture.3. The Papanicolaou method was as effective as the hanging drop but required too much technical skill for routine diagnosis of {ce:italic}T. vaginalis{/ce:italic}.4. The cytologic changes associated with vaginal trichomoniasis were described.5. The prevalence of the parasite as determined by the culture method on a single examination was 6.5 per cent in asymptomatic “cancer survey” patients, 15 per cent in obstetric patients, and 26 per cent in gynecologic patients.6. The roles of age, menstruation, pregnancy, previous infection, and other factors were briefly discussed. |
