Vulvovaginal candidiasis: modern look at the problem
Pestrikova T.Yu., Yurasova E.A., Kotelnikova A.V.
Far Eastern Medical State University, Khabarovsk

The incidence rate of candidal vulvovaginitis has a clear tendency to increase over the past 20 years. Currently, the vulvovaginal candidiasis is on the second place after bacterial vaginosis by the prevalence rate. From 15 to 40% of infectious lesions of the vulva and vagina are caused by a fungal infection. About 75% of women suffer from this disease at least once during their lifetime. From 40% to 50% of women have recurrences of vulvovaginitis, and in 5-8% of women the disease becomes chronic. The article presents modern data on etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, classification of this pathology, and reflects approaches to diagnostics and clinical picture of candidiasis vulvovaginitis. The presence of a combined form of candidal vulvovaginitis and bacterial vaginosis is highlighted. In the treatment, special attention is paid to the use of the drug clotrimazole, as an imidazole derivative, in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. It was noted that clotrimazole is effective against dermatophytes, yeast, molds and protozoa. Clotrimazole has an antimicrobial effect against gram-positive bacteria (Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp.) and anaerobes (Bacteroides spp., Gardnerella vaginalis), which makes it possible to use clotrimazole in vulvovaginal candidiasis combined with concomitant vaginal microbiota disorders. 

Key words: vulvovaginal candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, differential diagnosis, antimycotics, clotrimazole.
For citation: Pestrikova T.Yu., Yurasova E.A., Kotelnikova A.V. Vulvovaginal candidiasis: modern look at the problem // RMJ. 2017. № 26. P. 1965–1970.