Prevention of recurrent vaginal candidiasis with weekly terconazole cream.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prophylactic use of weekly terconazole 0.8% cream to prevent recurrent episodes of candidal vaginitis.


METHODS
Women with a documented history of recurrent candidal vaginitis (> or = 4 recurrences/y) were enrolled into a secondary prevention trial. None of these women were HIV positive, pregnant, diabetic, or immunosuppressed. Patients were initially treated for a symptomatic episode of candidal vaginitis and then started on weekly applications of terconazole 0.8% cream for 26 weeks. These women were then followed for an additional 26 weeks after therapy.


METHODS
A university-affiliated medical school.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 22 healthy women aged 19-41 years.


METHODS
Patients were interviewed by phone each week concerning symptoms and compliance. They were also reminded to notify the study investigators any time vaginal symptoms of candidiasis occurred. Patients were examined whenever they developed vaginal symptoms and were treated on the basis of microscopic and culture results.


RESULTS
Ten patients had 14 symptomatic cases of vaginitis during the prophylactic phase of the study, but Candida spp. were isolated during only 4 of these episodes. One episode was due to bacterial vaginosis and no pathogenic organisms were found in 9 of these cases. Eighteen of the 20 patients who completed the prophylactic phase were followed after therapy and 14 (78%) of these patients had a current case of candidal vaginitis. This incidence of infection was statistically higher than that observed during the treatment period (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Weekly applications of terconazole 0.8% cream were effective in preventing recurrent episodes of candidal vaginitis and were well tolerated.
Department of Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48834, USA.
G E
GE
Stein
N L
NL
Mummaw
S L
SL
Schooley
D000328:Adult; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors; D014230:Triazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014622:Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies
D014230:Triazoles; D014622:Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies; C037815:terconazole