Effect of 0.1% Activated Glycyrrhizic Acid Spray on Vulvar Discomfort and Pathological Leucorrhoea in Women with Nonspecific Vaginitis, Vulvovaginal Candidiasis, and Bacterial Vaginosis

Vulvar discomfort and pathological leucorrhoea are common concerns in women with nonspecific vaginitis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and bacterial vaginosis. This research investigates the effect of a 0.1% activated glycyrrhizic acid spray on the relief of vulvar discomfort and pathological leucorrhoea in these women.

The present study involved outpatient healthcare facilities across various cities in Russia and enrolled 8,249 women aged 18 to 45 years, presenting with pathological vaginal discharge and discomfort in the external genital area. The participants were diagnosed with nonspecific vaginitis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, or bacterial vaginosis. It conducted a comprehensive examination, including physical and gynecological assessments, bacterioscopy of vaginal smears, and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Depending on the pathogen and clinical diagnosis, the researchers prescribed etiotropic therapy, supplemented with a 0.1% activated glycyrrhizic acid spray.

The study found that-

• The combination therapy involving the 0.1% activated glycyrrhizic acid spray caused a significant reduction of discomfort symptoms.
• The combination therapy reduced the itching scores; burning scores; unpleasant odor scores; profuse discharge scores; vulvar and vaginal mucosal dryness scores, painful urination scores, and dyspareunia scores.
• The nature and volume of discharge also normalized, with the proportion of patients experiencing abnormal discharge volume decreasing from 46.6% to 1.1%.

This study showed that the addition of a 0.1% activated glycyrrhizic acid spray to the combination treatment of women with nonspecific vaginitis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and bacterial vaginosis effectively relieved pathological vaginal discharge and vulvovaginal discomfort. The spray demonstrated a high level of safety and tolerability. These findings suggest that the 0.1% activated glycyrrhizic acid spray has potential as a local and topical treatment option for these conditions. 

Kachalina OV, Matuzkova AA. Activated glycyrrhizic acid in the combination treatment of patients with vaginitis and dysbiosis: results of a multicenter study. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2023;3:115-120. doi: 10.18565/aig.2023.26