Vaginal Mucormycosis: A Case Report

Although Zygomycetes cause life-threatening, opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts, the first case of vaginitis caused by Mucor species in a healthy woman is reported. Mucor vaginitis, which caused mild symptoms only, was refractory to conventional azole therapy and resistant to flucytosine. Cure was achieved with topical amphotericin B

Trichomoniasis as Seen in a Chronic Vaginitis Clinic

Objective: We sought to determine the clinical and laboratory features of trichomonas vaginitis (TV) in a chronic vaginitis clinic

Guidelines for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis: focus on tinidazole

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a complex vaginal infection most commonly associated with women of child-bearing age. Risk factors for BV are numerous. There are currently multiple clinical and laboratory tests for diagnosis of BV, including the most commonly used diagnostic methods: Amsel’s criteria or Nugent’s Gram stain scale. The mainstay of BV therapy is metronidazole, but tinidazole as well as a few other agents have also been used successfully. Tinidazole is the second nitroimidazole antiprotozoal agent and a structural derivative of metronidazole. With a favorable pharmacokinetic profile and reduced side effects, tinidazole is an alternative agent for BV treatment. There are minimal head-to-head comparative data to establish tinidazole’s superiority to metronidazole or other therapeutic agents. Available data suggest tinidazole has a role in special populations particularly for refractory or relapsing BV

Prevalence and risk factors for vaginal Candida colonization in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus increases the rate of vaginal colonization and infection with Candida species METHODS: We surveyed women with diabetes receiving care at either an urban or suburban diabetes clinic to examine the relationship between vaginal Candida colonization, diabetes type and duration, and HbA(1c) level. 101 participants completed the self-administered questionnaire and self-collected a vaginal swab for Candida culture. Candida colonization was similar by age and race. RESULTS: Type 1 diabetics were three times as likely as type 2 diabetics to be colonized with any Candida species (OR = 3.4; 95% CI: 1.03, 11.41; p = 0.04); even after adjusting for abnormal HbA(1c), which had an independent effect (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.76; p = 0.02). Recent antibiotic use (OR = 4.5; 95% CI: 1.18, 16.79; p = 0.03), lifetime history of chlamydia (OR = 5.8; 95% CI: 1.09, 30.54; p = 0.04), and performing oral sex during the past 2 weeks (OR = 4.9; 95% CI:0.84, 28.27; p = 0.08) were also associated with Candida carriage after adjusting for diabetic type and abnormal HbA(1c). C. albicans was isolated from the majority of colonized type 1 participants (56%), while C. glabrata was the most common isolate among colonized type 2 participants (54%). CONCLUSIONS: Improving glucose control and possibly modifying sexual behavior may reduce risk of Candida colonization, and potentially symptomatic infection, among women with diabetes

Candida Urinary Tract Infection: Pathogenesis

Candida species are unusual causes of urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy individuals, but common in the hospital setting or among patients with predisposing diseases and structural abnormalities of the kidney and collecting system. The urinary tract may be invaded in either an antegrade fashion from the bloodstream or retrograde via the urethra and bladder. Candida species employ a repertoire of virulence factors, including phenotypic switching, dimorphism, galvano - and thigmotropism, and hydrolytic enzymes, to colonize and then invade the urinary tract. Antegrade infection occurs primarily among patients predisposed to candidemia. The process of adherence to and invasion of the glomerulus, renal blood vessels, and renal tubules by Candida species was elegantly described in early histopathologic studies. Armed with modern molecular biologic techniques, the various virulence factors involved in bloodborne infection of the kidney are gradually being elucidated. Disturbances of urine flow, whether congenital or acquired, instrumentation of the urinary tract, diabetes mellitus, antimicrobial therapy, and immunosuppression underlie most instances of retrograde Candida UTI. In addition, bacterial UTIs caused by Enterobacteriaceae may facilitate the initial step in the process. Ascending infections generally do not result in candidemia in the absence of obstruction

Vulvovaginal Trichosporonosis

Objective: Isolation of Trichosporon species from vaginal secretions is a rare event, and no data are available on its pathogenic role. A case series is presented to determine the pathogenic role of Trichosporon species in vulvovaginal infections. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients seen in the W.S.U. Vaginitis Clinic in order to identify patients from whom Trichosporon species were isolated. Results: Between 1986 and 2001, a total of 13 patients had a total of 18 positive vaginal cultures for Trichosporon species. All 18 vaginal isolates were T. inkin. In general, positive vaginal cultures were accompanied by low yeast colony counts. Four out of 18 positive T. inkin cultures were obtained from visits by asymptomatic patients. Of the remaining 14 positive T. inkin cultures from patients with symptoms, nine out of 14 cultures had other diagnoses (Candida albicans, six cases; bacterial vaginosis, two cases; Trichomonas, one case). Five positive T. inkin cultures were obtained from visits at which patients had symptoms and no associated diagnosis. In only one of the five episodes could we establish a clear pathogenic role for Trichosporon. In this case the patient was treated with boric acid and had resolution of symptoms and a negative culture at follow-up. In-vitro susceptibility tests revealed that T. inkin was resistant to flucytosine and susceptible to all topical and oral azoles. Conclusions: T. inkin is occasionally found in vulvovaginal cultures and is usually a non-pathogen. Transient colonization tended to occur in women, usually of African—American origin, with major perturbations in vaginal flora (bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis) and increased pH. Pathogenic consequences of Trichosporon colonization appear to be rare

Candida Urinary Tract Infection: Pathogenesis

Candida species are unusual causes of urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy individuals, but common in the hospital setting or among patients with predisposing diseases and structural abnormalities of the kidney and collecting system. The urinary tract may be invaded in either an antegrade fashion from the bloodstream or retrograde via the urethra and bladder. Candida species employ a repertoire of virulence factors, including phenotypic switching, dimorphism, galvano - and thigmotropism, and hydrolytic enzymes, to colonize and then invade the urinary tract. Antegrade infection occurs primarily among patients predisposed to candidemia. The process of adherence to and invasion of the glomerulus, renal blood vessels, and renal tubules by Candida species was elegantly described in early histopathologic studies. Armed with modern molecular biologic techniques, the various virulence factors involved in bloodborne infection of the kidney are gradually being elucidated. Disturbances of urine flow, whether congenital or acquired, instrumentation of the urinary tract, diabetes mellitus, antimicrobial therapy, and immunosuppression underlie most instances of retrograde Candida UTI. In addition, bacterial UTIs caused by Enterobacteriaceae may facilitate the initial step in the process. Ascending infections generally do not result in candidemia in the absence of obstruction

Bacterial Vaginosis and the Natural History of Human Papillomavirus

Objective. To evaluate associations between common vaginal infections and human papillomavirus (HPV). Study Design. Data from up to 15 visits on 756 HIV-infected women and 380 high-risk HIV-uninfected women enrolled in the HIV Epidemiology Research Study (HERS) were evaluated for associations of bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and vaginal Candida colonization with prevalent HPV, incident HPV, and clearance of HPV in multivariate analysis. Results. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was associated with increased odds for prevalent (aOR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.26) and incident (aOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.47) HPV and with delayed clearance of infection (aHR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.97). Whereas BV at the preceding or current visit was associated with incident HPV, in an alternate model for the outcome of incident BV, HPV at the current, but not preceding, visit was associated with incident BV. Conclusion. These findings underscore the importance of prevention and successful treatment of bacterial vaginosis

Association between Semen Exposure and Incident Bacterial Vaginosis

Objective. To identify correlates of incident bacterial vaginosis (BV) diagnosed with Nugent scoring among high-risk women. Study Design. We conducted both cohort and case-crossover analyses, stratified by HIV infection status, based on 871 HIV-infected and 439 HIV-uninfected participants in the HIV Epidemiology Research Study, conducted in 4 US sites in 1993–2000. Results. BV incidence was 21% and 19% among HIV-infected and -uninfected women, respectively. Fewer correlates of BV were found with case-crossover than with cohort design. Reporting frequent coitus (regardless of consistency of condom use) was correlated with BV in cohort analyses but not in case-crossover analyses. The sole correlate of BV in both types of analyses was the detection of spermatozoa on Gram stain, which is a marker of semen exposure. Conclusion. The inconsistent association between condom use and BV in prior studies could be from reporting bias. We found evidence of a relationship between semen exposure and incident BV