[The role of vaginal pH. Importance of its normalization in the prevention of recurrent vaginitis]. / Ruolo del pH vaginale. Importanza della sua normalizzazione nella prevenzione delle vaginiti recidivanti.

BACKGROUND: A sample of 100 women was clinically examined for a very various vulvovaginal symptomatology and an individual diagnosis of vulvovaginitis of different aetiology was established. METHODS: All women were treated with antibiotic and/or antimycotic drugs on the basis of individual diagnosis. Sixty women had only this treatment, while 40 women had also a supplementary treatment with a cleanser emulsion characterized by physiologic pH value and an antiseptic activity due to a vegetable extract (Saugella Attiva, Lab. Guieu). The symptomatologic changes due to the two treatments were compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment (drug + antiseptic) obtained better results mostly in subjective symptomatology; this combined treatment was very useful in the recovery of the Doderlein population.

Effects of continuous percutaneous estradiol administration on skeletal turnover in postmenopausal women: a 1-year prospective controlled study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the short and long term effects of continuous percutaneous administration of estradiol (E2) cream on skeletal turnover in women in surgical postmenopause. Forty women were randomly divided into two groups, one treated with a single daily application of 3 mg/day E2 cream continuously for 12 months, the other receiving placebo cream. Forearm densitometry was performed before and at the end of treatment. Serum E2, osteocalcin (BGP), alkaline posphatase (AP) and urinary N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) were also measured at baseline, month 4 and 12 of the protocol. At month 4, bone turnover was also assessed by evaluating 99mtechnetium-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) skeletal uptake. Changes in E2, BGP, AP and NTX as well as 99mTc-MDP skeletal uptake in hormone group vs. placebo were significant after 4 months of treatment. At month 12, proximal site densitometry showed no variation in either group whereas the percentage of variation in distal site measurements resulted significantly different with an increase in the hormone group and a reduction in the placebo group. In conclusion continuous percutaneous administration of E2 cream was effective in rapidly reducing bone turnover in postmenopausal women and in counteracting the accelerated postmenopausal bone loss.