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Review
. 2022 Jul;48(7):1546-1560.
doi: 10.1111/jog.15267. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis: An overview of mycological, clinical, and immunological aspects

Leila Jafarzadeh  1 , Maryam Ranjbar  2 , Tina Nazari  3 , Mahsa Naeimi Eshkaleti  4   5 , Sanaz Aghaei Gharehbolagh  4 , Jack D Sobel  6 , Shahram Mahmoudi  7
Affiliations
Review

Vulvovaginal candidiasis: An overview of mycological, clinical, and immunological aspects

Leila Jafarzadeh et al. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Aim: To provide an overview of clinical, immunological, and mycological aspects of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).

Methods: A literature search was conducted to find relevant articles about different aspects of VVC. Related data from retrieved articles were summarized in different headings.

Results: VVC has a global distribution and Candida albicans is the leading cause of infection except for specific patient groups like postmenopausal, diabetic, or immunocompromised women. VVC has a range of clinical presentations, accordingly, its diagnosis should be based on clinical examination coupled with laboratory investigations. The best therapeutic regimen depends on the patient's conditions and the causative agent. Moreover, factors like drug resistance of the causative agents and different mutations in the immunity-related genes could affect the treatment outcome.

Conclusion: As a globally distributed disease, VVC needs further attention, especially in areas related to the treatment failure and recurrence of the disease.

Keywords: Candida; antifungal agents; herbal medicine; natural products; vulvovaginal candidiasis.

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References

    1. Yano J, Sobel JD, Nyirjesy P, Sobel R, Williams VL, Yu Q, et al. Current patient perspectives of vulvovaginal candidiasis: incidence, symptoms, management and post-treatment outcomes. BMC Womens Health. 2019;19(1):1-9.
    1. Damen JG, Cosmas EU, Daminabo VM. Prevalence and antifungal susceptibility profile of vulvovaginal candidiasis amongst women of reproductive age in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria. World J Pharm Life Sci. 2017;3(3):152-6.
    1. Al Halteet S, Abdel-Hadi A, Hassan M, Awad M. Prevalence and antifungal susceptibility profile of clinically relevant Candida species in postmenopausal women with diabetes. Biomed Res Int. 2020;2020:1-9.
    1. Sustr V, Foessleitner P, Kiss H, Farr A. Vulvovaginal candidosis: current concepts, challenges and perspectives. J Fungi (Basel). 2020;6(4):267.
    1. Mylonas I, Bergauer F. Diagnosis of vaginal discharge by wet mount microscopy: a simple and underrated method. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2011;66(6):359-68.

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