Abstract

VULVOVAGINAL CANDIDIASIS IN PATIENTS ATTENDED IN A PRIMARY CARE UNIT OF BOM JESUS DO ITABAPOANA, PROVINCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Milena de Souza Furtado Ávila, Marcos Loureiro Meireles Ávila, Fernanda Castro Manhães, Ane Esposti Rangel Bastos, Gersana Tatagiba Rodrigues Zambrotti, Paulo Roberto Blanco Moreira Norberg and Antonio Neres Norberg*

ABSTRACT

Candida species are the fungal agents most associated with vulvovaginitis, and it is estimated that 138 million women develop this clinical condition each year in the world. This research aimed to investigate the incidence of vulvovaginal candidiasis among women attended at the gynaecology clinic of the Orbílio Machado Primary Care Unit, at the city of Bom Jesus do Itabapoana, Province of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to treat and monitor the effectiveness of drug intervention observing the cure or recurrence of the infection. Among the 168 patients attended in the year 2019, 12 (7,14%) were diagnosed with vulvovaginitis caused by Candida species. All patients with positive results were treated with Itraconazole and evolved to cure, with no recurrence verified in the gynaecological attendances performed in subsequent months. The prevalence of this clinical condition in Bom Jesus do Itabapoana may be considered low when compared to other studied population groups. Periodic gynaecological exams of vaginal exudate are recommended for early diagnosis. Patients with vulvovaginitis by Candida species should be submitted to the specific treatment to avoid complications and the recurrence of the disease.

Keywords: Candida spp., candidiasis, vulvovaginitis, Bom Jesus do Itabapoana.