Candida Albicans

Dimorphic
Dimorphic Mold yeast

blastomyces dermatitidis Aspergillus (ass mold) Cryptococcus

candida albicans

coccidioides immitis

Histoplasma capsulatum

Blast Candida In His Cox

Chlamydospores

• Tuberculate chlamydospores = histoplasma capsulatum

• granulomatous lesions in the Lung  resembles TB
• Chlamydospores oral mucosa = candida albicans

• Both histoplasma and candida may be answer choices

Opportunistic Infection

• Opportunistic infection – almost always present in mouth but not able to

grow because of the dominant bacterial flora.
• Oral candidiasis may result due depressed immune system, specifically
destruction of T-lymphocytes
• Be careful – NOT usually airborne, just always present in body, so we don’t “catch
it” from other people
Opportunistic infection continued

• Things that can depress your immune system

• More common in those with HIV/AIDS (if they ask about carcinoma in the mouth with HIV/aids =
Kaposi sarcoma)
• Prolonged antibiotic treatment can lower oral flora and give a chance for candida to dominate
• Patients exposed to chemotherapy are prone to infection from candida
• Patients exposed to long term corticosteroids are prone to candidiasis
• Patients with T-cell deficiency
• SCID = severe combine immunodeficiency (purine & pyrimidine lecture)
• Caused by adenosine deaminase deficiency SCID AD is very depressing
Antibiotics

• Oral biome is fighting for food and energy. Normally the good bacteria
outcompete candida and it does not flourish
• Antibiotics can kill those competing bacteria and allow the candida to get
the energy and food and flourish, causing candidiasis, oral thrush,
bilateral angular chelitis…
candidiasis

• In Mouth candidiasis is called thrush

• candidiasis can result in yeast infections

• Oral candidiasis
• Pseudomembranous candidiasis
• Angular chelitis
Treatment

• Nystatin
• amphotericin B
• fluconazole
• clotrimazole
• dimorphic
• Angular chelitis = Corners of the mouth
• Treat with nystatin or amphotericin B or fluconazole or clotrimazole
• Has a pseudocapsule
• Opportunistic infection – almost always present in mouth but not able to grow
because of the dominant bacterial flora.
• Oral candidiasis may result due depressed immune system, specifically destruction of T-
lymphocytes
• Be careful – NOT usually airborne, just always present in body, so we don’t “catch it”
• Fungus spread person to person EXCEPT candida
• More common in those with HIV/AIDS (if they ask about carcinoma in the mouth with
HIV/aids = Kaposi sarcoma)
• Can produce chlamydospores
Which of the following would most likely to be colonized after Candidiasis is more common in
scraping mucous membranes of a healthy non-diseased people with a deficiency in which
patient? cell type?
A. Cryptococcus Neoformans A. B-Cells
B. Aspergillus flavus B. T Cells
C. coccidioides immitis C. Macrophages
D. Histoplasma capsulatum D. Plasma Cells
E. Candida albicans E. Neutrophils

Candidiasis is Treated with which

medication?
A. Tetracycline
Candidiasis is Treated with which B. Penicillin
medication? C. Augmentin
A. Tetracycline D. Amphotericin B
B. Penicillin E. Griseofulvin
C. Augmentin
D. Nystatin
E. Griseofulvin
Which of the following would most likely to be colonized after Candidiasis is more common in
scraping mucous membranes of a healthy non-diseased people with a deficiency in which
patient? cell type?
A. Cryptococcus Neoformans – person would be sick with A. B-Cells
cryptococcosis B. T Cells
B. Aspergillus flavus – person would be sick with C. Macrophages
aspergillosis/aspergilloma/liver failure D. Plasma Cells
C. coccidioides immitis – person would be sick with E. Neutrophils
coccidiodosis
D. Histoplasma capsulatum – person would be sick with
histoplasmosis Candidiasis is Treated with which
E. Candida albicans – healthy people have this in their flora medication?
but it is not manifested until T-lymphocytes/immune A. Tetracycline
system is depressed. B. Penicillin
Candidiasis is Treated with which
medication? C. Augmentin
A. Tetracycline D. Amphotericin B
B. Penicillin E. Griseofulvin
C. Augmentin
D. Nystatin
E. Griseofulvin