title: Candida esophagitis: risk factors in non-HIV population in Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Candida esophagitis is a frequent infection in immunocompromised patients. This study was designed to determine its characteristics in non- human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infected patients attending a teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical records of all patients coded by international classification of diseases 9th revision with clinical modifications' (ICD-9-CM), with candida esophagitis diagnosed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and histopathology over a period of 5 years were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one patients (27 males, 24 females, range 21-77 years old and mean age 52.9 years) fulfilled the criteria (0.34% of the EGD). The common predisposing factors were carcinoma (OR 3.87, CI 1.00-14.99) and diabetes mellitus (OR 4.39, CI 1.34-14.42). The frequent clinical symptoms were retrosternal discomfort, dysphagia and epigastric abdominal pain with endoscopic appearance of scattered mucosal plaques. Another endoscopic lesion was associated with candida esophagitis in 15% patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carcinomas, diabetes mellitus, corticosteroid and antibiotic therapy are major risk factors for candida esophagitis in Pakistan. It is an easily managed complication that responds to treatment with nystatin.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Agha Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. yakoobjaved@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Javed
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yakoob
authors.forename: Wasim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.forename: Shahab
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: Hasnain A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Akbar S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hussainy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004724:Endoscopy; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B; D006526:Hepatitis C; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D015994:Incidence; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors