Review article
Trichomonas and Candida in the Light of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sanja Špoljar
; Ministarstvo obrane Republike Hrvatske
Mihael Skerlev
; Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated parasite which infects the urogenital tract. It causes vaginitis in women and urethritis and balanoposthitis in men. The main route of transmission is through sexual contact. In men and half of all women the infection usually appears to be asymptomatic. Complications might include the preterm birth and low-birth-weight infants. It is not always so easy to diagnose it in men, whereas the diagnosis in women seems to be easier with the use of the wet mount examination. However, cultivation methods including the molecular techniques are currently the "gold standard".
The therapy of choice is oral metronidazole or tinidazole simultaneously administered to both partners. An increasing resistance to azole preparations appears to be a major problem
nowadays. Candida species is at the same time the main pathogenic yeast for humans and part of the physiological flora. Genital involvement in women is mostly presented in the form of vaginitis and vulvovaginitis. In men, the infection with Candida is presented as balanitis or balanoposthitis. Diagnosis should be confirmed by mycological testing. Topical treatment with imidazole and/or oral therapy with fluconazole or itraconazole have proven to be very safe and effective. We have no right to neglect either trichomoniasis or genital candidosis in the light of sexually transmitted infections.
Keywords
Trichomonas vaginalis; Candida species; sexually transmitted infection
Hrčak ID:
48274
URI
Publication date:
19.2.2009.
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