Murina F, Torraca M, Graziottin A, Nappi RE, Villa P, Cetin I. Validation of a clinical tool for vestibular trophism in postmenopausal women.
Climacteric 2023;
26:149-153. [PMID:
36722687 DOI:
10.1080/13697137.2023.2171287]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to develop and validate a clinical tool to assess vestibular trophism in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, the principal investigator's center and three external reviewers assessed the vestibular images of postmenopausal women using a multi-item tool defined as vestibular trophic health (VeTH), which assessed five criteria: petechiae, pallor, thinning, dryness and redness. Dryness, dyspareunia, vulvar pain and the Vaginal Health Index (VHI) were also evaluated.
RESULTS
Analysis of the intraclass correlation coefficient (0.76; confidence interval 0.62-0.82) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.78; confidence interval 0.64) indicated an inter-rater reliability and reproducibility of VeTH in the 70 women enrolled in the study. The observed covariance between a high VeTH score and the symptom severity demonstrated a significant correlation, which was not evident between VeTH and the total VHI score.
CONCLUSIONS
The vulvar vestibule is the main location of genital tenderness, primarily responsible for burning/pain and entry dyspareunia because of its capacity to develop an excess of nociceptors upon sexual hormone deprivation. Our study indicated that VeTH can be a reproducible tool for the morphological classification of vestibular trophism and bears a significant correlation with the severity of the symptoms.
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