Update of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Pregnant and Non-pregnant Patients

• DOI: 10.1007/s12281-019-00357-3
• Publication Date: 2019-11-16T07:02:00Z
• Authors: Tito Ramírez-Lozada; Víctor Manuel Esp...; María Guadalupe F...; Erick Martínez-He...
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; 3. Good health

Candida albicans vulvovaginitis is one of the most frequent symptomatic infections in women and its incidence increases in reproductive age and pregnancy. Currently there are more specific and sensitive tests to identify Candida species that are resistant to antifungal agents, such as PCR and MALDI TOF MS, in order to improve prognosis. The genus Candida is part of the microbiota in humans; however, many species can become pathogenic. Vulvovaginitis caused by non-albicans Candida are becoming very important due to their high levels of antifungal resistance, which makes treatment difficult. Therefore, in addition to using phenotypic, biochemical tests, molecular analyses should be used to improve diagnosis and give appropriate treatment. Both in childhood and in reproductive age, women are exposed to several episodes of vulvovaginitis, mainly due to bacteria and fungi, due to various risk factors. Among the fungi, the most common agent is Candida albicans and within the non-albicans is Candida glabrata, but there are other species related to greater resistance and recurrence.