Study of Glucose Tolerance Test and Some Risk Factors in Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

More than 75% of females would have at least one episode of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC)during their life while half of these patients would be affected for the second time but less than 5% of cases evolves into recurrent or chronic vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC or CVVC) with failure of our therapeutic interventions. One cause of recurrent VVC is hyperglycemia. The aim of this study was assessment of the correlation between RVVC and impaired glucose metabolism and other risk factors of recurrent VVC such as BMI, parity in non diabetic fertile women. This case-control study enrolled30 non diabetic women in reproductive age with recurrent VVC (study group) and 20 non diabetic women with normal vaginal examinations (control group). FBS, OGTT (blood glucose level 2 hours after 75gr glucose load) and HbAlc were measured in all cases and other risk factors were evaluated by a questionnaire.Based on the lab data 10 patients in the study group were diabetic and were excluded from the study. Case and control groups were compared by T test, Chi square and Fischer exact tests. OGTT results were impaired in 25% of patients in the study group while 0% of control group showed abnormal OGTT. (P=0.047). FBS was abnormal (ranged between 110 mgldl to 125 mg/dl) in 15% of patients in study group patients while none of women in the control group had abnormal FBS (P=0.231). HbAlc level in recurrent VVC patients was significantly higher than control group (P=0.007). BMI more than 25 was also more common in the study group compared with control group (P=0.004). The numbers of parity, gravity, the history of diets enriched with sweets were also more common in case group. (P=0.001, P=0.004). The results of the present study show that OGTT in addition to FBS is useful in the workup of patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.