Atopobium vaginae: a literature review, on findings and potential clinical implications

Abstract

Atopobium vaginaeis an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium. It is recognized as a causal agent of bacterial vaginosis onset and occasionally associated to gynaecologic-obstetric complications (including pelvic inflammatory disease, endometritis, tubo-ovarian abscesses and preterm delivery with neonatal consequences). Additionally, bacteraemia and invasive infections have rarely been reported. The scientific and technological progress allowed an accurate and rapid identification of Atopobium vaginae supporting diagnosis and clinic interventions. In this article, literature has been deeply examined to report the state-of-the-art on Atopobium vaginae, which might be useful in clinical scenarios.

Keywords

• Atopobium vaginae
• bacterial vaginosis
• bacteraemia
• invasive infection
• 16S rRNA gene sequencing
• MALDI TOF-MS