Treatment of vaginal candidiasis in pregnancy with a single clotrimazole 500 mg vaginal pessary.

A single vaginal pessary containing clotrimazole 500 mg (Canesten; Bayer-Miles) was used to treat candidiasis during a prospective, mycologically controlled trial among 46 patients in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Positive cultures were obtained from vaginal swabs before commencement of treatment. Swabs were taken 1 week and 1 month after treatment. Four patients were lost to follow-up. One week after treatment 83,3% of the patients were cured on microscopic and mycological examination, and all of the patients had relief of symptoms. The recurrence rate was 5,7% after 1 month. Of the 7 patients in whom treatment was unsuccessful, 3 were available for repeat treatment and all 3 responded successfully to a second course.