Background. According to the limited studies reporting new treatments for
vulvovaginal candidiasis, this study was designed to compare the combination of
fluconazole and oral protexin with
fluconazole in the treatment of
vulvovaginal candidiasis. Methods. A double-blind clinical trial was conducted, involving 90 women who were referred to the gynecology clinic.
Vulvovaginal candidiasis was diagnosed with
itching, cheesy
vaginal discharge, and any one of the following:
dysuria, pH < 4.5,
dyspareunia, vulvar
erythema, or vulvar
edema and if branched hyphae and Candida buds were visible after addition of KOH 10% in the culture and the result of cultivation in Sabouraud's
dextrose agar medium was positive. Patients were randomly classified into two groups Absence of discharge,
itching, and negative culture results 5-7 days after completion of treatment indicated treatment success. Data in this study were analyzed using the SPSS version 17.0 software. Results. The combinations,
fluconazole-oral protexin and
fluconazole-placebo, were equally effective in reduction of complaints and symptoms, but
fluconazole-oral protexin combination elicited a better therapeutic response (χ(2) = 6.7, P = 0.01). [corrected] In addition,
fluconazole-oral protexin combination treatment demonstrated better recovery time (t = -2.04, P = 0.04). Conclusion. This study demonstrated that complementary treatment with probiotic Lactobacillus increased the efficacy of
fluconazole in treatment of
vulvovaginal candidiasis. Further research is recommended.