From Volume 44, Issue 2, February 2017 | Pages 132-138
Oral candidosis can present in childhood with recognizable mucosal changes. It may be associated with predisposing factors or suggest underlying systemic disease such as poorly controlled diabetes or an immunosuppressed state. Investigations are often required and management includes addressing predisposing factors in addition to prescribing topical or systemic antifungal therapy.
Candida albicans is the most common candida species isolated from the oral cavity in both healthy and diseased states.1 However, there has been an increase in the incidence of non-albicans species such as C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. krusei in recent years.2
It is important to differentiate between candida as a commensal and candida infection (candidosis). Commensal oral carriage of candida can occur in up to 80% of healthy individuals.3 Progression from harmless commensal to pathogenic organism is often due to predisposing host factors which often relate to a weakening of host immune defences.3 In the paediatric setting it is important to consider these predisposing factors as oral candidosis may reflect an undiagnosed systemic condition.
Factors that predispose to oral candidosis relate primarily to the host. The virulence factors unique to Candida albicans which allow it to colonize the oral mucosal surface so effectively are listed in Table 1.
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