الفهرس 
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Abstract
Vaginal candidiasis is a common complaint among women of different age groups, regardless of their sexual activities. Reports show that about 75% of all women, experience at least one episode of which physician approved to be candidiasis in their lifetime (Akah et al.,2010).
In this study we investigated the rate of vaginal candidiasis among female patients attended the outpatient clinic of gynaecology and obstetrics in Sohag University Hospital.
The total number of patients included in the study were 300 patient. 30% of them (90 patients) had had candida vulvovaginitis, the age distribution of the study group was as follows: (6.6%) of cases were in the group (18-35 years), (24.5%) were in the age group (26-35 years), (43.3%) were in the age group (36-45 years), and (25.6%) of cases were in age groupe( 45-50 years) which means that the highest incidence was in the patients aged (36-45 years).
When we analyzed the different predisposing factors of vaginal candidiasis in these patients we found that , recurrent vulvovagintis has been the most frequently associated risk factor (45.56%) of cases exhibited recurrent vulvovaginitis, followed by pregnancy (25.56%) of cases, followed by the use of IUD (24.44%) of cases, then the use OCP (23.33%), and lastly the presence associated diabetes mellitus (18.89%). There was a highly significant association between the risk factors and occurrence of candida vulvovaginitis (p value < 0.0001%).
Also there was no any significant association between the other risk factors like diabetes, recurrent vulvovaginitis, and use of OCP from one side and infection with non-albicans candida from the other side (p value > 0.05), while the use of IUD as contraceptive method was found to be significantly associated with infection with non-albicans candida (p value = 0.01).
When we assessed the species distribution of candida isolates we characterized seven species of Candida. C. albicans (54.4%) was the predominant species isolated followed by a higher incidence of non albicans species like C. glabrata (24.5%), C. tropicalis (14.4%), and C. famata (3.3%). In our study also one strain of C. dubliniensis,c. lusitania, and c. parapsilosis (1.11%) were isolated.
The overall rate of non albicans isolates were 45.5% that reflects its increased prevalence. chrOMagar tm candida medium was able to identify three species only; C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. glabarata, while VITEK compact system was able to identify all of the seven species isolated.
When we determined the in vitro susceptibilities of the clinical isolates of Candida spp. to amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, fluconazole and voriconazole, by the VITEK 2 system, we found that the susceptibility for flucytosine was 96.67% and 3.33% of isolates were resistant, for fluconazole 93.33% of isolates were susceptible and 6.67% were resistant, and for voriconazole 99% of isolates were susceptible and only 1% of isolates were resistant.
In conclusion, candidiasis represents a common cause of vaginitis in female patients of different age groups. The rate of isolation of non-albicans candida species was higher than expected, and the resistance to antifunal drugs was also higher among non-albicans candida. The overall rate of resistance to antifungals was not high; leaving a good therapeutic options for vaginal candidiasis in our locality.