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. 2001;9(4):221–225. doi: 10.1155/S1064744901000369

Differentiation Between Women With Vulvovaginal Symptoms Who are Positive or Negative for Candida Species by Culture

Iara M Linhares 1,2, Steven S Witkin 2,✉, Shirlei D Miranda 1, Angela M Fonseca 1, Jose A Pinotti 1, William J Ledger 2
PMCID: PMC1784657  PMID: 11916179

Abstract

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 pruritis. 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.

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Selected References

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