Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis—An Overview of Guidelines and the Latest Treatment Methods

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine Vol. 12; no. 16; p. 5376
• Main Authors: Satora, Małgorzata, Grunwald, Arkadiusz, Zaremba, Bartłomiej, Frankowska, Karolina, Żak, Klaudia, Tarkowski, Rafał, Kułak, Krzysztof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-08-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Anti-infective agents; Antifungal agents; Bacterial infections; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal; Clinical medicine; Drug therapy; Infections; Methods; Microorganisms; Microscopy; Patients; Practice guidelines (Medicine); Public health; Review; Vagina; Womens health; Poland
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm12165376

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common condition associated with discomfort in affected women. Due to the presence of different forms of the disease, diverse treatment regimens are developed; the newest ones include oteseconazole and ibrexafungerp. Here, we focus on the most up-to-date recommendations regarding VVC treatment, as well as novel treatment options. Topical and oral azoles are the drugs of choice in uncomplicated mycosis. The efficacy of probiotics and substances such as TOL-463 and chlorhexidine is indicated as satisfactory; however, there are no relevant guidelines. Although the majority of researchers agree that the treatment of non-albicans VVC should be long-lasting, the recommendations are inconsistent. Another clinical problem is the treatment of VVC with azole intolerance or resistance, for which literature proposes the use of several drugs including oteseconazole, ibrexafungerp, and voriconazole. The treatment schedules for recurrent VVC include mainly fluconazole; however, alternative options such as immunotherapeutic vaccine (NDV-3A) or designed antimicrobial peptides (dAMPs) were also described. We also focused on VVC affecting pregnant women, which is a substantial challenge in clinical practice, also due to the heterogeneous relevant guidelines. Thus far, few precise recommendations are available in the literature. Future studies should focus on atypical VVC forms to elucidate the inconsistent findings.