Evaluation of a new slide latex agglutination test for diagnosis of vaginal candidosis

A new commercial slide latex particle agglutination test for rapid (2 min) diagnosis of vaginal candidosis was evaluated and compared with conventional methods. Of the 263 women studied, 63 (23.9%) had yeasts in the vagina. Clinical signs of vulvitis or vaginitis were seen in 23 women (8.8%) and 40(15.2%) were harbouring yeasts without clinical signs. Yeast counts were generally higher in women with clinical signs of vaginal candidosis than in those without. The test was positive in 15 of the 23 women (65.2%) with clinical signs, the incidence of a positive test increasing in direct proportion to the amount of yeasts isolated. The test's sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were comparable to those of microscopy and culture. Being both rapid and simple to perform, this new test offers a useful alternative to conventional methods for the diagnosis of vaginal candidosis.