Prevalence and susceptibility of vaginal yeast isolates in Jordan

The prevalence of vaginal yeast species has been studied in 140 women (41 pregnant, 66 infertile and 33 healthy controls) attending a gynaecological private clinic in Amman, Jordan. Yeast species were isolated from pregnant (68.2%), infertile (51.5%) and healthy control (48.4%) women. Patients manifesting one, two or three symptoms of vulvovaginitis were 22.1%, 26.8% or 24.2% respectively. Asymptomatic cases and cases with more than three symptoms were 22.4% and 4.5% respectively. Candida albicans was the dominant species (in 51.3% of the patients) followed by C. glabrata (17.9%). The percentage occurrence as well as the pattern of Candida species differed among the different groups of patients. Candida kefyr was found to be significantly higher in the infertile women. In vitro sensitivity tests using amphotericin B, nystatin, miconazole nitrate and chlorhexidine were carried out; amphotericin B was the most effective and miconazole nitrate the least.