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Clinical and Microbiological Diagnosis of Oral Candidiasis

Summary

This research reviews the diagnosis of oral yeast infections (candidiasis), which affect many people worldwide. The study explains how doctors can identify these infections through clinical examination and laboratory tests. Impact on everyday life: • Helps doctors make faster and more accurate diagnoses of oral yeast infections • Guides healthcare providers in choosing the most appropriate diagnostic tests • Enables better treatment selection for different types of oral candidiasis • Improves understanding of when additional testing beyond visual examination is needed • Helps reduce unnecessary laboratory testing and associated healthcare costs

Background

Candidiasis is the most frequent mucocutaneous mycosis of the oral cavity, produced by fungi of the genus Candida. It is found in 53% of the general population as a commensal organism. Over 150 species have been isolated in the oral cavity, with Candida albicans accounting for 80% of isolates. The pathogenesis combines three factors: host predisposition, fungal characteristics, and oral microenvironment-modifying factors.

Objective

To describe the correct clinical diagnosis of oral candidiasis, identify situations requiring complementary microbiological techniques, and outline the most commonly used techniques in routine clinical practice for establishing a definitive diagnosis.

Results

The diagnosis of oral candidiasis is primarily clinical, with microbiological confirmation needed only in specific cases like antifungal resistance or diagnostic uncertainty. Common diagnostic methods include smears, potassium hydroxide (KOH) staining, and Sabouraud dextrose agar cultures. CHROMagar Candida and Candida ID are widely used for species identification due to good sensitivity/specificity. For invasive candidiasis and C. albicans/C. dubliniensis differentiation, immunological (ELISA) and genetic (PCR) techniques are employed.

Conclusion

Clinical examination is the fundamental diagnostic approach for oral candidiasis. Microbiological testing is reserved for confirmation needs, differential diagnosis, antifungal resistance cases, and hyperplastic candidiasis requiring biopsy. While traditional methods like staining and culture remain standard, newer techniques like CHROMagar-PAL and Multiplex PCR offer improved species differentiation capabilities, though cost remains a limiting factor.
  • Published in:Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.4317/jced.51242
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