A 22-year-old female presents with yellowish-green discharge. What will most likely be seen on a wet mount examination?

In the scenario of a 22-year-old female presenting with yellowish-green discharge, the wet mount examination is particularly useful for identifying the cause of the discharge based on its characteristics. The presence of trichomonads, which are flagellated protozoan parasites, is classically associated with trichomoniasis, an infection that typically produces a frothy, yellow-green discharge.

During a wet mount examination, trichomonads can be visualized as motile organisms, often darting around in the field of view. This motility is a distinguishing feature of Trichomonas vaginalis, the organism responsible for this condition. The characteristic appearance of the discharge and the presence of these motile organisms strongly support the diagnosis of trichomoniasis.

Other options may present in different contexts: clue cells are associated with bacterial vaginosis, pseudohyphae indicate a candidal infection, and lactobacilli are generally present in healthy vaginal flora but not indicative of an infection. In this case, the findings on the wet mount align directly with the symptoms and suggest an active infection with trichomoniasis, making the identification of trichomonads the most likely outcome of the examination.