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| {{SI}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Leukorrhea]] |
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| {{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}}
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| {{Cleanup|date=January 2008}}
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| {{DiseaseDisorder infobox |
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| Name = Leukorrhea |
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| Image = |
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| Caption = |
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| ICD10 = {{ICD10|N|89|8|n|80}} |
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| ICD9 = {{ICD9|623.5}} |
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| ICDO = |
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| OMIM = |
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| DiseasesDB = |
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| MedlinePlus = |
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| eMedicineSubj = |
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| eMedicineTopic = |
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| MeshID = D007973 |
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| }}
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| '''Leukorrhea''' (US) or '''leukorrhoea''' (Commonwealth) is a medical term that denotes a thick, whitish [[vagina]]l discharge. It is a natural defense mechanism the vagina uses to maintain its chemical balance, as well as to preserve the flexibility of the vaginal tissue. It may also result from [[inflammation]] or congestion of the vaginal [[Mucous membrane|mucosa]]. In cases where it is yellowish or gives off an odor, a doctor should be consulted since it could be a sign of several disease processes, including a [[sexually transmitted disease|STD]].
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| ==Causes==
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| There are many causes of leukorrhea, the usual one being [[estrogen]] imbalance i.e. increase or decrease in levels of. The amount of discharge may increase due to [[vaginal infection]] or STDs, in which case it becomes more yellow and foul-smelling; it is usually a non-pathological symptom secondary to inflammatory conditions of vagina or [[cervix]].
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| Vaginal discharge is normal for a woman, and all women are different. Causes of change in discharge include infection, malignancy, and hormonal changes. It sometimes occurs before a girl has her first [[menstruation|period]], and is considered a sign of [[puberty]].
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| Leukorrhea may occur normally during [[pregnancy]]. This is caused by increased bloodflow to the vagina due to increased estrogen. Female [[infant]]s may have leukorrhea for a short time after birth due to their in-uterine exposure to estrogen. | |
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| After [[Childbirth|delivery]], leukorrhea accompanied by backache and foul-smelling lochia ([[post-partum]] vaginal discharge, containing blood, mucus, and [[placenta]]l tissue) may suggest the failure of [[involution]] (the [[uterus]] returning to pre-pregnant size) due to infection.
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| Investigations: wet smear, gram stain, culture, pap smear and biopsy.
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| ==External links==
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| * [http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/vaginaldischarge.html Overview at americanpregnancy.org]
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| {{Diseases of the pelvis, genitals and breasts}}
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| [[Category:Diseases and disorders]]
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| {{disease-stub}}
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| {{SIB}}
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| [[es:Leucorrea]]
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| [[fr:Leucorrhée]]
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| [[ml:വെള്ളപോക്ക്]]
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| [[fi:Valkovuoto]]
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| [[zh:白帶]]
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| {{WH}}
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| {{WS}}
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