Use of fluconazole in women of reproductive age with vulvovaginal candidiasis

Topicality: vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common disease caused by the infectious damage of the vulva and vagina by yeast-like fungi from Candida genus. According to the literature, a VVC episode occurs in 75% of women, and 5-8% of them get a recurring course of the disease. Frequent recurrences of the disease may result in the psychosexual disorder and reduce the women’s quality of life and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) therapy is still a very difficult task.

Purpose of the study: evaluate the efficacy of fluconazole (150 mg) in acute and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Materials and methods: A total of 89 women of reproductive age with acute and recurrent HCV were enrolled in the study, which were subdivided into 2 groups: the first group included women with acute vulvovaginal candidiasis (AVVC) (n = 51), and the second group - women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) (n = 38). The Group I (AVVC) received fluconazole 150 mg once. Depending on the prescribed therapy, the second group (RVVC) was subdivided into two subgroups: patients in the IIa subgroup received fluconazole 150 mg intravenously, three times, at intervals of 2 days, and women in the IIb subgroup received fluconazole 150 mg for a period of 6 months in addition to the three-fold intake of fluconazole weekly. The follow-up period was 6 months after the end of therapy, during which the frequency of VVC recurrence and the effectiveness of the therapy was evaluated.

Results of the study: our data showed that all patients with acute VVC had a discontinuation of symptoms of the disease and a normalization of laboratory parameters after treatment with fluconazole, and after the anti-relapse therapy course the incidence of VVC recurrences was significantly lower compared to the period before anti-relapse therapy (p = 0.038). It was shown that all the investigated strains of C. albicans (100%) were sensitive to fluconazole, and resistance was detected only in 1 strain of C. glabrata and 1 strain of C. krusei. 

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