Update on Oral Fungal Infections

Oral manifestations of systemic disease

“…While Candida albicans is the most common species associated with oral thrush, several other types may also give rise to this clinical feature, some of which can be particularly insensitive or indeed resistant to antifungal therapy. 41,42 Adherent white patches The most common causes of white patches of the mouth are local physical trauma, oral lichen planus (discussed earlier), hyperkeratosis of unknown cause, epithelial dysplasia or neoplasia. Some of these can arise in association with systemic disease (for example, traumatic keratosis secondary to cerebral palsy or oral lichen planus due to medication) and white patches of the oral mucosa and to a lesser extent the gingivae may be a significant feature of systemic disease.…”

Oral Candidosis

“…This type of oral Candidosis was fi rstly described by the French pediatrician Francois Valleix in 1838 (Kumar and Alexander 2013 ). According to some authors, pseudomembranous Candidosis can be classifi ed as acute or chronic infection (Muzyka and Epifanio 2013 ;Neville et al, 2004 ). The acute infection is a peculiar clinical manifestation of this opportunistic fungal disease, taking into account its rapid oral manifestation usually related to broadspectrum antibiotic exposure, which disrupts the balance in the oral microbiota (Eversole et al, 2012 ;Neville et al, 2004 ).…”

Microbiology of Oral Biofilm-Dependent Diseases: Have We Made Significant Progress to Understand and Treat These Diseases?

“…Fungi are eukaryotic free-living microorganisms capable of causing a wide spectrum of infections in humans, including superficial, subcutaneous, or systemic mycoses. Fungal infections are usually acquired by inhalation or traumatic implantation from an exogenous source, or as a result of a dysbiosis of the resident microbiota associated with the persistent use of immunosuppressive drugs and broad-spectrum antibiotics, as well as with immune deficiencies, malignancies, smoking, nutritional disorders, and/or diabetes [116]. Oral candidiasis is the most common fungal infection that affects the oral mucosa.…”

“…Candida species, particularly Candida albicans, are usually commensal microorganisms detected in up to 75 % of the oral cavity of healthy individuals. However, in certain conditions these dimorphic fungi may become virulent and cause disease, including pseudomembranous, erythematous or hyperplasic candidiasis, angular cheilitis, denture stomatitis, and median rhomboid glossitis, among others [116]. In addition to Candida, several other fungi have been identified in the oral microbiota, including non-culturable fungi [115].…”