title: Individualized decreasing-dose maintenance fluconazole regimen for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (ReCiDiF trial).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although many women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis initially benefit from prophylactic intermittent treatment with antimycotics, most of them experience relapse after cessation of therapy, and often they return to the pretreatment recurrence rate. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of an individualized, degressive, prophylactic regimen in 136 women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  After an induction dose of 600 mg fluconazole during the first week, 117 women started maintenance therapy: 200 mg fluconazole weekly for 2 months, followed by 200 mg biweekly for 4 months, and 200 mg monthly for 6 months, according to their individual response to therapy. All women were tested for recurrences monthly with wet mount microscopy and vaginal culture during the first 6 months and bimonthly during the next 6 months. Patients were allowed to move on to the next level of maintenance therapy only if they were symptom free and microscopy and culture negative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the women who were cured successfully after the induction phase, 101 women (90%) were disease-free after 6 months of maintenance therapy with this degressive regimen, and 80 women (77%) were disease-free after 1 year. The weekly incidence of the first clinical relapse was 0.5% during any period of the maintenance phase, and the rate of all new relapses, which included evidence of mycologic or microscopic colonization, was 1% per week. Women who experienced several relapses (poor responders) had experienced more relapses before entering the study compared with the optimal responders (odds ratio, 4.9; 95% CI,1.8-13.7; P = .002), experienced the disease for a longer period of time (6.5 vs 3.7 years; P = .06), and harbored significantly more Candida non-albicans during maintenance therapy (P = .001). No serious side-effects were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individualized, degressive, prophylactic maintenance therapy with oral fluconazole is an efficient treatment regimen to prevent clinical relapses in women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.
authors.affiliation: Femicare vzw, Tienen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donders
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellen
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Byttebier
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Verguts
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hinoul
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walckiers
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stalpaert
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vereecken
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Eldere
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D015725:Fluconazole