Vulvovaginal candidiasis treatment with local clotrimazole

Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a widespread disease that affects apparently healthy women of childbearing age, which enhances the social significance of this disease. It manifests itself by symptoms, such as itching, burning, pain, redness, and genital discharge, which significantly affects quality of life in patients. According to clinical practice guidelines, azoles should be intravaginally used to treat uncomplicated vulvovaginal candidiasis. The efficiency of therapy for this disease with different azoles is comparable; therefore, the treatment should be chosen on the basis of criteria, such as tolerability, patient convenience, etc. Of all the azoles that can be used to treat vulvovaginal candidiasis, clotrimazole has the best tolerance. There are also topical drugs containing local anesthetics and antiseptics to relieve itching and burning, but many women report discomfort during their use and the absence of the expected effect. A number of authors also emphasize that the use of a combination of clotrimazole with topical corticosteroids unreasonably and frequently enhance the manifestations of the fungal infection. Thus, as compared with clotrimazole monotherapy, combination local therapy with various drugs may apparently have a number of disadvantages. Conclusion: Clotrimazole cream 2% shows high efficiency and safety confirmed in numerous Russian and foreign studies and can be recommended for use in patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis. The paper presents own clinical case of successful clotrimazole monotherapy of a patient with candidiasis vulvovaginitis on the basis of the Department of Aesthetic Gynecology and Rehabilitation, V.I. Kulakov NMRC for OG&P, Ministry of Health of Russia.

vulvovaginal candidiasis, clotrimazole, azoles, urogenital candidiasis