Validityof clinical diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis

Abstract

To verify the validity of clinical diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) by itself and associated with fresh examination using the culture of vaginal secretion as gold standard. An analysis was carried out on 93 patients that were seen by the department of Gynecology from Faculdade de Medicina de Barbacena, which looked forward the service by spontaneous demand for routine gynecological appointment. They were subjected to a anamnesis for the evaluation of clinical symptoms and epidemiological data, the gynecological exam was performed and each data was discriminated. To make the clinical diagnosis, widely disseminated criteria by literature were used, such as vulvovaginal intense itching and burning, swelling and vulvar erythema, dyspareunia, vaginal secretions, white, flocculated, thick and inodorous. The last step was to collect material to vaginal secretion culture and sent it to a laboratory of microbiology to grow on Sabouraud agar, until 48 hours after the collection.  In the study the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis in patients, based on the culture, was 47.91%. The accuracy of clinical examination was a 0.78, and sensitivity (S) of 82.6% and specificity (E) of 74.46%. The findings that have great relevance were the presence of flocculated flow (S: 82.60% and E: 78.72%), positive cytology for Candida (S: 60.86% and E: 95.74%) and the presence of inflammatory process (S: 60.86% and E: 87.23%). The odds ratio of these items were also statistically significant and all get a p <0,001.