Looking for appropriateness in the cure of mixed vaginitis: the role of fenticonazole as an empiric treatment

Abstract

Mixed vaginitis is defined as the simultaneous presence of at least two different vaginal pathogens, both contributing to an abnormal vaginal milieu leading to signs and symptoms. Pathogen coinfection occurs frequently in women with vaginitis, and both coinfection and mixed vaginitis have relevant clinical and therapeutic implications. Fenticonazole, an imidazole derivative with a broad spectrum of antimycotic and antimicrobial activity, appears at least as effective as other topical antifungals in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis and can also have a major role in the treatment of mixed infections or coinfections of the lower genital tract. This paper will address the current role of topical fenticonazole as an empiric treatment of vulvovaginal infections, with a focus on the effectiveness in the treatment of mixed vaginitis and the possible implications of this.