However, in a minority of cases oesophageal candidiasis may occur without oral involvement [8]. Invasive candidiasis is seen in more immunocompromised patients, in particular those with central venous catheters, prolonged antimicrobial usage or intensive care unit admission. Oral and oesophageal candidiasis are clinical diagnoses (category IV recommendation). Oral and oesophageal candidiasis are clinical diagnoses, and microbiological confirmation is not advised due to the likelihood of positive cultures in the absence of clinical disease. Candida cultures should be

IWR-1 in vivo requested only for studies of resistance in individuals not responding to standard therapy. C. krusei is always fluconazole-resistant, and may be cross-resistant to itraconazole and ketoconazole. C. glabrata GDC-0980 solubility dmso sensitivity is more variable with many strains showing fluconazole resistance [9]. Susceptibility

testing is recommended for patients with clinical disease from whom these species are isolated and for cases in which there is a slow response to therapy or development of candidiasis despite azole therapy for some other reason. Oesophageal candidiasis can be diagnosed clinically if oropharyngeal candidiasis is present (category IV recommendation). Endoscopy should reveal white patches. The main value of endoscopy is to exclude other causes of oesophageal symptoms that Y-27632 2HCl may be present with or without oesophageal candidiasis or obtain samples for susceptibility testing if response to therapy is not detected. Azoles and topical treatment are equally effective at treating oropharyngeal candidiasis but azole therapy is associated with a lower risk of relapse (category Ib recommendation). Azoles are the mainstay of treatment for HIV-seropositive patients with oral or oesophageal candidiasis. Topical nystatin or amphotericin are of little benefit for oesophageal candidiasis,

and although as effective as azoles for oropharyngeal candidiasis, are associated with slower clearance of yeast from the mouth and a higher relapse rate [10]. Fluconazole (50–100 mg/day), ketoconazole (200 mg bd) and itraconazole (200 mg od) are the most commonly selected orally absorbable systemic azoles, and all have efficacy against oropharyngeal candidiasis when prescribed for 7–14 days [11–16]. Fluconazole is most often recommended. Itraconazole may be used in select cases when fluconazole resistance has been demonstrated. Ketoconazole is mainly of historical interest. Studies have suggested greater efficacy with fluconazole and oral solution of itraconazole than with ketoconazole or itraconazole tablets [11,16,17]. Both fluconazole and itraconazole have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of oesophageal candidiasis with fluconazole providing greater short-term response [18].