Methylrosaniline chloride stained vaginal smears for the diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis

ObjectiveTo study the sensitivity and specificity of methylrosaniline chloride stained vaginal smears for the diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).MethodBetween September 2005 and February 2006, 214 cases of patients with VVC and 102 cases of controls were investigated at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital. All strains were identified with the API Candida system.ResultsThe average age of the patients was 29.87 years. The sensitivity and specificity of methylrosaniline chloride stained vaginal smears for the diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis were 88.3% (189/214) and 96.1 (98/102). The sensitivity of the vaginal smears for the diagnosis of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, mild vulvovaginal candidiasis and severe vulvovaginal candidiasis were 85.2% (46/54), 74.7% (71/95) and 99.2% (118/119).ConclusionMethylrosaniline chloride stained vaginal smears for the diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis are reliable and inexpensive.