OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether clinical criteria could differentiate between women with vulvovaginitis who were culture positive or negative for vaginal Candida species. METHODS: Vulvovaginal specimens were obtained from 501 women with a vaginal discharge and/or pruritus. Clinical information and wet mount microscopy findings were obtained. All specimens were sent to a central laboratory for species identification. RESULTS: A positive culture for Candida species was obtained from 364 (72.7%) of the specimens. C. albicans was identified in 86.4% of the positive cultures, followed by C. glabrata in 4.5%, C parapsilosis in 3.9%, C. tropicalis in 2.7% and other Candida species in 1.4%. Women with a positive Candida culture had an increased utilization of oral contraceptives (26.1% vs. 16.8%, p = 0.02) and antibiotics (8.2% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.001), and were more likely to be pregnant (9.1% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.04) than the culture-negative women. Dyspareunia was more frequent in women without Candida (38.0% vs. 28.3%, p = 0.03) while vaginal erythema (p = 0.01) was more common in women with a positive Candida culture. CONCLUSIONS: Although quantitative differences were observed, the presence of vaginal Candida vulvovaginitis cannot be definitively identified by clinical criteria.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether clinical criteria could differentiate between women with vulvovaginitis who were culture positive or negative for vaginal Candida species. METHODS:Vulvovaginal specimens were obtained from 501 women with a vaginal discharge and/or pruritus. Clinical information and wet mount microscopy findings were obtained. All specimens were sent to a central laboratory for species identification. RESULTS: A positive culture for Candida species was obtained from 364 (72.7%) of the specimens. C. albicans was identified in 86.4% of the positive cultures, followed by C. glabrata in 4.5%, C parapsilosis in 3.9%, C. tropicalis in 2.7% and other Candida species in 1.4%. Women with a positive Candida culture had an increased utilization of oral contraceptives (26.1% vs. 16.8%, p = 0.02) and antibiotics (8.2% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.001), and were more likely to be pregnant (9.1% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.04) than the culture-negative women. Dyspareunia was more frequent in women without Candida (38.0% vs. 28.3%, p = 0.03) while vaginal erythema (p = 0.01) was more common in women with a positive Candida culture. CONCLUSIONS: Although quantitative differences were observed, the presence of vaginal Candida vulvovaginitis cannot be definitively identified by clinical criteria.
Authors: J D Sobel; S Faro; R W Force; B Foxman; W J Ledger; P R Nyirjesy; B D Reed; P R Summers Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol Date: 1998-02 Impact factor: 8.661