Leukorrhea

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**Leukorrhea**
*Classifications and external resources*
ICD-10	N 89.8
ICD-9	623.5
MeSH	C13.371.894.700.500

Leukorrhea (US) or leukorrhoea (Commonwealth) is a medical term that denotes a thick, whitish vaginal discharge. It results from inflammation or congestion of the vaginal mucosa. In case it is yellowish or gives off an odour, it ceases to be healthy and a doctor should be consulted.

Leukorrhea is a sign that the vagina is healthy and keeping clean. It may sometimes occur before a girl has her first period, and is considered a sign of puberty.

There are many causes of leukorrhea, the usual one being increased estrogen. The amount of discharge may increase due to vaginal infection or STDs, in which case it becomes more yellow and foul-smelling. Vaginal discharge is normal for a woman, and all women are different. Causes of change in discharge include infection, malignancy, and hormonal changes.

Leukorrhea may occur normally during pregnancy. This is caused by increased bloodflow to the vagina due to increased estrogen. Female infants may have leukorrhea for a short time after birth due to their in-uterine exposure to estrogen.

Its usually a non-pathological symptom secondary to inflammatory conditions of Vagina or cervix.

[edit] Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a vaginal discharge other than menstruation is a sign that the body is not healthy and can be a possible sign of infertility. A white discharge charge can indicate cold-type leukorrhea, and a yellow type can indicate heat-type. Both can be successfully treated with acupuncture and/or chinese herbal formulas. There are also other types of leukorrhea in TCM, for example black leukorrhea. All of which are treatable.