About Candida infection

Learning objectives

Identify and handle candida infections of skin and mucosal surfaces.

Introduction

Predisposing factors for disease include:

• Old or infancy age
• Warm climate
• Occlusion e.g. plastic trousers (infants), nylon pantyhose (girls), dental plates
• Immune want e.g. low amounts of immunoglobulins, infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• High oestrogen pregnancy or contraceptive pill
• Immunosuppressive or chemotherapy drugs including systemic steroids
• Locally used external steroids
• Iron deficiency
• Characteristically candida causes white and reddish spots on mucosal surfaces. In skin folds it results in damp fissuring with satellite papulopustules that is superficial.

Investigations

Culture and microscopy of smears, blue-top skin swabs and scrapings guide in the diagnosis of candidiasis. Nevertheless, candida can live on a mucosal surface rather harmlessly.And know about the How To Give A Hickey In Proper Way. It may also infect an underlying skin disorder like psoriasis; so positive culture doesn't mean a dermatosis is candidiasis.

Disease is supported by the existence of yeast cells, which might be breaking up by budding, and pseudohyphae (branched filaments much like those of a dermatophyte) forming a pseudomycelium.

• Candida albicans: culture and microscopy Candida albicans: culture and microscopy
• Candida albicans: culture and microscopy
• Candida mycology

Oral candidiasis

Oral candidiasis (thrush) suggests invasion of the mucosa by the yeast due to favourable states (dentures, smokers, antibiotics, steroid inhalers) or debility. Several clinical subtypes of disease are recognised:

• Acute candidiasis: pseudomembranous (white) &/or atrophic (crimson) spots
• Chronic candidiasis: hyperplastic or atrophic plaques
• Median rhomboid glossitis: diamond-shaped inflammation at the rear of the tongue
• Candida may coexist with Staph. aureus.
• Oral candidiasis
• Treatment of oral candidiasis is generally with miconazole gel or pastilles, or oral nystatin drops. Sometimes, oral itraconazole or fluconazole is required for persistent or serious disorder.

Chronic candidiasis may be pre-malignant or lost with in situ malignancy. Send treatment-failures to biopsy, a dermatologist or oral surgeon for investigation and, if necessary.