title: Clinical aspects and luteal phase assessment in patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to characterize the patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basic data of personal history and history of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, lower genital tract symptoms and signs in 50 patients were analyzed in this longitudinal follow-up study including the determination of midluteal serum progesterone and urinary pregnanediol levels during the luteal phase in 84 cycles (recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis) and 60 cycles (healthy controls).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients suffered primary idiopathic form of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. Frequently, there was a striking discrepancy between severe symptoms and clinical finding, which was often negligible or normal. There was no redness and no or minimum discharge in 52% of culture documented attacks. In contrast to the healthy controls, the patients had significantly lower levels of progesterone (p<0.01) as well as those of urinary pregnanediol (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Culture positive attacks in patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis represented rather a form of vulvovaginal discomfort than attacks of vulvovaginal candidiasis with typical inflammatory changes. Significantly lower progesterone levels in the RVVC patients as compared to the healthy controls suggest a link between an altered hormonal status and one of possible causes of RVVC in these women.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Sokolská 581, Hradec Králové 500 05, Czech Republic. spacekj@fnhk.cz
authors: Jirí
authors: J
authors: Spacek
authors: Vladimír
authors: V
authors: Buchta
authors: Petr
authors: P
authors: Jílek
authors: Miroslav
authors: M
authors: Förstl