Chronic vulvovaginitis caused by Candida dubliniensis in an immunologically competent adult female

Abstract

Candida, a commensal dimorphic fungus, is the most common microorganism that causes opportunistic fungal infections worldwide. It can cause diseases ranging from superficial mucosal infections to disseminated, systemic life-threatening infections. Among Candida species, Candida albicans is the most common infectious agent. Nowadays, non-albicans Candida species are also emerging as significant pathogens. Candida dubliniensis has been implicated as a causative agent of oral candidiasis in HIV-infected individuals but has also been recovered from HIV non-infected individuals with oral candidiasis and rarely from the genital tract of women with vaginitis. Such cases have been under-reported due to phenotypic resemblance to C. albicans. The majority of C. dubliniensis clinical isolates tested to date have been susceptible to fluconazole, but they tend to develop resistance rapidly. Here, we report a case of chronic vulvovaginitis due to C. dubliniensis not responding to standard doses of fluconazole.