Compounds for the treatment of atropic vaginitis

Abstract

Background: Atropic vaginitis is the result of a significant decrease in estrogen levels. This frequent complaint is characterized by dryness and inflammation of the vagina with thinning of the urogenital epithelium. The diagnosis is clinical, based on symptoms and physical examination. Clinical manifestations include vaginal dryness, itching, burning, discharge, bleeding, dyspareunia and urinary tract symptoms such as frequency, recurrent infection and discomfort. Different therapies have been shown to effectively manage signs and symptoms. Objective/methods: A Medline (1966 – present) search was performed for randomized trials involving treatments for atropic vaginitis. Additionally, a review of patent lists (http://gb.espacenet.com) was done. Reference lists of papers and patents were reviewed for further references. Conclusion: In this article, the authors summarize the clinical results of the treatments and the patent landscape. Almost all preparations are effective in decreasing signs and symptoms of vaginal atrophy but they differ slightly in their adverse-event profiles. Long-term safety of the preparations is best established for estradiol tablets (1 year) but is lacking for all preparations.

Keywords::

• alternative medicine
• hormone therapy
• nonhormonal vaginal therapy
• vaginal atrophy
• vaginitis