title: Relationship between the morphology of Candida cells and vaginal discharge.
abstract: The aim of this study was to detect whether there is a correlation between the dimorphic pattern of Candida cells and various types of vaginal discharge. For this purpose, 2861 Papanicolaoustained cervicovaginal smears were examined cytologically and 265 of 2861 (9.26%) were diagnosed as having Candida cells. The 88 of 295 (29.83%) were identified as having blastospores only, 135 of 295 (45.76%) as having "hyphae only", and 47 of 295 (15.93%) as having both blastospores and hyphae of candida cells. There was a significant correlation between the type of candida cells and vaginal discharge (p < 0.05). The white-cheesy type vaginal discharge was the most prominent symptom for the observation the "hyphae only" following "blastospores only" and both blastospores and hyphae of Candida cells. It was suggested that hyphael form of Candida cells is the most pathogenic pattern and white-cheesy vaginal discharge is a marker for the presence of hyphael form in the vaginal mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirezen
authors.forename: M Sinan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Beksaç
mesh_terms: D002175:Candida / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D025301:Hyphae; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D019522:Vaginal Discharge / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears