[Clinico-laboratory diagnosis of chronic candidiasis of the external genital organs in women].

Major clinical characteristics of various forms of recurrent chronic external genital candidiasis in females and remission thereof are considered. Cytologic findings in vaginal smears are reported, as are the results of Candida albicans culture in vaginal discharge of patients with acute and subacute recurrences and those with remissions. Cytologic investigation is shown to be very valuable and capable of differentiating between various forms of the pathology when used in combination with the cultures. It was also valuable in the diagnosis of acute and suacute relapses of chronic candidiasis, the accuracy of diagnosis being 87.8%. High detectability rate of vegetating fungal forms may serve as an indicator of the activity of the pathologic process.