1 Department of Pediatrics, Brockton Hospital, 680 Centre St, Brockton, MA 02402
To the Editor.
Chronic Shigella vulvovaginitis has occasionally been described in children.1-4 Although frequently asymptomatic, approximately 50% of patients have a sanguinous vaginal discharge that, at times, has been confused with gonorrhea. Most authors believe that the etiology of the infection is fecal contamination of the vagina from improper hygiene of the perineum. However, in a substantial percentage of culture-proven cases of Shigella vulvovaginitis, there have been no simultaneous or preceding gastrointestinal symptoms and cultures of the stool and/or rectum were negative.