VISUALIZATION OF VAGINAL FLORA IN CERVICAL SMEARS USING A MODIFIED MICROWAVE SILVER-STAINING METHOD

The advantage of studying the vaginal flora to determine the bacteria and fungi present in cervical smears (as opposed to cultivation of the se micro-organisms) is that the micro-organisms can be observed in the ir natural habitat. However, they are only faintly stained by the conv entional Papanicolaou method. Accordingly, contrast is weak and visual ization poor. For this reason, we developed a modified microwave silve r-staining method that can be performed retrospectively on stained sme ars. Bacteria and fungi stain distinctly black and can be studied in g reater detail, and their interrelationship can be visualized. Haematox ylin or Eosin counterstain allows us to visualize vaginal inhabitants in relation to epithelial cells. In the series presented here, we show that a modified microwave silver-staining method is well suited to st udying the ecology of micro-organisms in smears taken from women prese nting to their doctor with clinical symptoms. Using this staining meth od, we have shown that lactobacilli overgrowth is associated with symp toms. (C) 1998 Chapman & Hall.