Old but gold: an historical perspective of wet mount microscopy and its current role for the diagnosis of vaginitis

Since the invention of the microscope, physicians and gynecologists have utilized wet mount microscopy of vaginal fluids. A significant milestone was the discovery of Trichomonas vaginalis by Alfred François Donné in 1836. As the century progressed, research by Albert Döderlein shifted focus to the presence of lactobacilli. In the early 1920s, Christine Marie Berkhout provided a detailed description of the fungus Candida. For many years, understanding the microbiology of vaginal fluids in health and disease played a crucial role in diagnosing vaginitis and sexually transmitted infections. The development of culturing techniques on Petri dishes and later molecular biology methods, which became widespread and commercially accessible, offered more accurate diagnostic options, leading to the gradual decline of office microscopy. In this perspective article, we explore the advantages of maintaining office microscopy as a crucial component of gynecological examinations at point of care, especially for diagnosing vaginitis.