Recurrent Genital Candidosis of Women: Consequence of Reinfection or Relapse

A most interesting fact for scientific investigations is that 5% of women are afflicted with recurrent genital candidosis (RGC) characterized by three or more genital, fungal infection episodes per a year. The data analysis is also interesting because it reveals that the most significant risk factors such as pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, long term use of antibiotics and citostatics, hormonal therapy and idiopathic or acquired immunodeficient conditions have not been verified. There are many different hypotheses about RGC pathogenesis, but two of them have set the course for further research. The first maintains that antimycotic therapy leads to eradication of Candida fungi from vaginal mucosa and that the recurrent episodes of genital candidosis are caused by re-infection. The second hypothesis has an absolutely opposite starting ground. According to this theory, the frequent RGC episodes have been caused by a failure to eradicate Candida sp. from female genital tract. According to this theory, RGC is not caused by re-infection, but by relapse.