The prevalence and clinical diagnosis of vaginal candidosis in non-pregnant patients with vaginal discharge and pruritus vulvae.

Two hundred and thirteen nonpregnant female patients complaining of vaginal discharge or pruritus vulvae were recruited to the study by 45 general practitioners in the Yorkshire region. Of these patients, 102 (48 per cent) were found to have demonstrable vaginal mycosis on an initial swab and a further 10 to be swab positive after one week of placebo treatment. The total prevalence in this population of women consulting their practitioner was thus 52.6 per cent.Analysis of symptomatology and of physical findings showed that a clinical diagnosis of vaginal mycosis cannot be made with acceptable reliability.The occurrence of spontaneous swab conversion is noted, and its possible origins are discussed.