title: Phenotypic Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility Pattern to Fluconazole in Candida species Isolated from Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in a Tertiary Care Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vaginal candidiasis is a common gynecological finding among women worldwide. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) along with speciation of Candida with special reference to its antifungal susceptibility pattern to fluconazole and also to evaluate the risk factors responsible for VVC in patients attending our tertiary care hospital in Puducherry, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out in the tertiary care hospital in Puducherry during the period of August 2010 to September 2012.The study group consisted of 180 women between the age group of 15 to 56 years with the complaints of excessive vaginal discharge, pruritis and pain. Materials used for this study consisted of high vaginal swabs from patients with relevant history, attending Obstetrics & Gynecology department. High vaginal swabs were subjected to direct 10% KOH wet mount microscopy, Gram stain, culture onto Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) & 5% sheep blood agar and susceptibility testing to fluconazole was performed using E-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Candida was isolated in 40 (22.2 %) women & these consisted of C. albicans 26 (65%), C. glabrata 9 (22.5%), C.tropicalis 3 (7.5%) & C. parapsilosis 2 (5%). Susceptibility test carried out on the 40 isolates revealed that 35 (87.5%) Candida isolates were sensitive to fluconazole, 3 (7.5%) were moderately sensitive and 2 (2.5%) were resistant. Thirty one percent patients had itching as the presenting complaints followed by vaginal discharge (29.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high frequency with which C. albicans was recovered in our study and its susceptibility to fluconazole supports the continued use of azole agents for empirical therapy of uncomplicated candidal vulvovaginitis in the community.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Latha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ragunathan
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Student, Department of Microbiology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Poongothai
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Student, Department of Microbiology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Annie Rofeena
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sinazer
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Kavitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kannaiyan
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Hemalatha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gurumurthy
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Nirmala
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jaget
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Microbiology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital , Puducherry, India .
authors.forename: Sethumadhavan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuthalaramalingam
keywords: Candida; Candidiasis; Vulvovaginal candidiasis; Vulvovaginitis