OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of correlation between physical signs of genital atrophy and symptoms that are suggestive of atrophic vaginitis. STUDY DESIGN: Female volunteers (n = 135; mean age, 69 years) rated the presence and severity (rating, 0-3) of vaginal atrophy symptoms. The presence and severity of vaginal mucosal changes, which included vaginal pH (0-3), were recorded during a pelvic examination. A vaginal cytologic maturation value was performed. Symptoms, signs, pH, and maturation value were correlated by the Spearman rank test. RESULTS: Symptom scores were low (mean, 0.41; range, 0-2.6). Symptoms were only weakly correlated with physical findings (r = 0.14) and not with maturation value (r = 0.06) or age (r = -0.004). There was a moderate correlation between physical examination score and maturation value (r = -0.48). In women > or =65 years old, symptom score and physical examination score were correlated weakly (r = 0.25). Low pH correlated well with high maturation value (r = -0.52). Women who were undergoing estrogen therapy had higher symptoms scores (P =.0007) and maturation values (P =.0002) than women who were not undergoing therapy. CONCLUSION: Although urogenital atrophy occurs universally after menopause, most elderly women are minimally symptomatic. Those women on estrogen replacement therapy may be more symptomatic. Symptoms alone should not be used as a guide for the initiation of estrogen therapy.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of correlation between physical signs of genital atrophy and symptoms that are suggestive of atrophic vaginitis. STUDY DESIGN: Female volunteers (n = 135; mean age, 69 years) rated the presence and severity (rating, 0-3) of vaginal atrophy symptoms. The presence and severity of vaginal mucosal changes, which included vaginal pH (0-3), were recorded during a pelvic examination. A vaginal cytologic maturation value was performed. Symptoms, signs, pH, and maturation value were correlated by the Spearman rank test. RESULTS: Symptom scores were low (mean, 0.41; range, 0-2.6). Symptoms were only weakly correlated with physical findings (r = 0.14) and not with maturation value (r = 0.06) or age (r = -0.004). There was a moderate correlation between physical examination score and maturation value (r = -0.48). In women > or =65 years old, symptom score and physical examination score were correlated weakly (r = 0.25). Low pH correlated well with high maturation value (r = -0.52). Women who were undergoing estrogen therapy had higher symptoms scores (P =.0007) and maturation values (P =.0002) than women who were not undergoing therapy. CONCLUSION: Although urogenital atrophy occurs universally after menopause, most elderly women are minimally symptomatic. Those women on estrogen replacement therapy may be more symptomatic. Symptoms alone should not be used as a guide for the initiation of estrogen therapy.
Authors: Alison J Huang; Steven E Gregorich; Miriam Kuppermann; Sanae Nakagawa; Stephen K Van Den Eeden; Jeanette S Brown; Holly E Richter; Louise C Walter; David Thom; Anita L Stewart Journal: Menopause Date: 2015-02 Impact factor: 2.953
Authors: Caroline M Mitchell; Sujatha Srinivasan; Anna Plantinga; Michael C Wu; Susan D Reed; Katherine A Guthrie; Andrea Z LaCroix; Tina Fiedler; Matthew Munch; Congzhou Liu; Noah G Hoffman; Ian A Blair; Katherine Newton; Ellen W Freeman; Hadine Joffe; Lee Cohen; David N Fredricks Journal: Menopause Date: 2018-05 Impact factor: 2.953
Authors: Shaylyn S Stark; Loki Natarajan; Diana Chingos; Jennifer Ehren; Jessica R Gorman; Michael Krychman; Brian Kwan; Jun J Mao; Emily Myers; Tom Walpole; John P Pierce; H Irene Su Journal: Contemp Clin Trials Date: 2018-12-12 Impact factor: 2.226
Authors: H Irene Su; Shaylyn Stark; Brian Kwan; Sarah Boles; Diana Chingos; Jennifer Ehren; Jessica R Gorman; Michael Krychman; Sally A D Romero; Jun J Mao; John P Pierce; Loki Natarajan Journal: Breast Cancer Res Treat Date: 2019-05-03 Impact factor: 4.872