An open assessment of three different treatment regimens of itraconazole for the management of vaginal candidosis.

An assessment was carried out in 59 women with proven vaginal candidosis to compare the efficacy and tolerance of itraconazole used in three different treatment regimens. Patients were allocated at random to receive a single oral dose of 200 mg itraconazole for 1, 2 or 3 days. They were reassessed 1 week and 4 weeks after treatment for remission of clinical signs and symptoms and repeat mycological investigations. All three regimens yielded successful clinical results, global evaluation at 4 weeks showing complete remission in 100% (5/5), 81.5% (25/27) and 92.3% (24/26) of patients, respectively. One patient (on 2-day treatment) required alternative treatment before the 4-week assessment. Minor gastric side-effects were reported by a few patients on the 2-day and 3-day treatment regimens; these resolved spontaneously.