Bacterial vaginosis historical perspective

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

Ovrview[edit | edit source]

In 1892, Albert Döderlein first described the hypothesis that bacterial flora may be a cause of vaginal infectious conditions. In 1955, Gardner and Dukes first named Haemophilus vaginalis (gardnerella vaginalis) as a new genus and the cause of the foul-smelling, watery vaginal discharge associated with BV.^[1][2]

Historical perspective[edit | edit source]

• In 1780, Scheele discovered a gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacteria, lactobacillus spp. in sour milk.
• in 1858, Folwarczny subsequently discovered lactobacillus spp. in humans.
• In 1892, Albert Döderlein first described the hypothesis that bacterial flora may be a cause of vaginal infectious conditions.
• In 1921, Schröder developed a set of three lactobacillary grades.^[1]
• Up to the 1950s, the exact etiology of lactobacillary deficiency was still uncertain, and symptomatic women with lactobacillary grade III were diagnosed with vaginitis.
• In 1955, the newly discovered bacterium (‘Haemophilus vaginalis’) was first named by Gardner and Dukes. They thought their newly discovered bacterium belonged to the Haemophilus group, but soon afterwards gardnerella vaginalis was named as a new genus—and the cause of the foul-smelling, watery vaginal discharge associated with BV.^[2]
• In 1980, Haemophilus vaginalis was renamed as a gardnerella vaginalis (in honor of Gardner) by Greenwood and Pickett, after it became apparent that Haemophilus vaginalis did not belong to the genus haemophilus.^[3]

References[edit | edit source]

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