Why Aerobic Vaginitis (AV) should not be called Desquamative Inflammatory Vaginitis (DIV)

Editorial Since several decades it has become increasingly clear that the presence of vulvovaginal complaints and vaginal discharge can be caused by more than Candidasp or bacterial vaginosis. The same gynecologist, Herman Gardner, who fist described bacterial vaginosis and saw his name been given to its main causative microorganism Gardnerella vaginalis, also was aware of another vaginal condition that caused distress and increased vaginal discharge, and described the condition ‘desquamative inflammatory vaginitis’ as early as 1968 [1]. He described 8 cases with an ulcerative disease of the vagina, demonstrating a combination of increased numbers of parabasal epithelial cells, loss of lactobacilli, and increased inflammation. As it was not recognized as an infection, some thought of it as a chemical vaginitis after vaginal douching with toxic ingredients [2], an emphysema-like disease like in the skin [3], vitamin D deficiency [4], an atrophy of the vagina despite normal circulation estrogens [1] or a condition linked to the presence of a cervical ectropion [5]. As treatment, originally, corticosteroids were thought to be most efficient [1], but later, also antibiotics like clindamycin [6] and vitamin D were tried [7], with some success in selected cases.