Culture/InPouch™ TV

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Culture

In women, culture using Diamond's medium is the gold standard method for detecting T. vaginalis.1 Culture is more sensitive than both wet mount and Pap tests, and it has a high specificity.2,3 The disadvantages of the culture method include the cost, the time delay for a diagnosis (usually 2-7 days), and the need to delay treatment until the results are available. Patients will continue to be infectious to others during this time.4

InPouch™ TV

The InPouch™ TV culture system combines a two-chambered bag that allows one to perform a wet mount using the upper chamber and a culture using the lower chamber, in one self-contained system. The sensitivity of the InPouch system is comparable to Diamond's medium. One comparative study found the InPouch system and Diamond's medium to be 82.4% and 87.8% sensitive, respectively.5 A similar study found the InPouch system significantly more sensitive than Diamond's.6

Diamond's medium is not available to many physicians.7 The InPouch system can be stored at room temperature up to one year whereas Diamond's medium requires refrigeration and has a shorter expiration date. The cost and time required to perform each test is comparable.5

  1. Heine P, McGregor JA. Trichomonas vaginalis: a reemerging pathogen. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1993 Mar;36(1):137-44.
  2. Lobo TT, Feijó G, Carvalho SE, Costa PL, Chagas C, Xavier J, Simoes-Barbosa A. A comparative evaluation of the Papanicolaou test for the diagnosis of trichomoniasis. Sex Transm Dis. 2003 Sep;30(9):694-9.
  3. Wendel KA, Erbelding EJ, Gaydos CA, Rompalo AM. Trichomonas vaginalis polymerase chain reaction compared with standard diagnostic and therapeutic protocols for detection and treatment of vaginal trichomoniasis. Clin Infect Dis. 2002 Sep 1;35(5):576-80. Epub 2002 Aug 6.
  4. Thomason JL, Gelbart SM. Trichomonas vaginalis. Obstet Gynecol. 1989 Sep;74(3 Pt 2):536-41.
  5. Levi MH, Torres J, Piña C, Klein RS. Comparison of the InPouch TV culture system and Diamond's modified medium for detection of Trichomonas vaginalis. J Clin Microbiol. 1997 Dec;35(12):3308-10.
  6. Borchardt KA, Zhang MZ, Shing H, Flink K. A comparison of the sensitivity of the InPouch TV, Diamond's and Trichosel media for detection of Trichomonas vaginalis. Genitourin Med. 1997 Aug;73(4):297-8.
  7. Lossick JG, Kent HL. Trichomoniasis: trends in diagnosis and management. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1991 Oct;165(4 Pt 2):1217-22.

InPouch™ is a trademark of Biomed Diagnostics.