title: Urban legends series: oral candidosis.
abstract: Candida species (spp) are commensal yeast that can only instigate oral infection (oral candidosis - OC) when there is an underlying predisposing condition in the host. We investigated four controversial topics on OC: (i) How can a microbiological determination of OC be made as Candida spp. are commensal yeasts and not all of them form hyphae or pseudohyphae during infection? (ii) Is median rhomboid glossitis (MRG) a manifestation of candidal infection? (iii) Can candidal infection cause palate papillary hyperplasia (PPH)? (iv) What is the best therapeutic treatment for denture-associated erythematous stomatitis (DAES)? Results from extensive literature searches, including a systematic review, suggested the following: (i) the diagnosis of OC merely on the basis of the presence of yeasts is an oversimplification of a complex process. No convincing evidence of a single test or method better able to discriminate the transition from candidal saprophytism to pathogenicity has been reported in the literature; (ii-iii) conclusive evidence of a direct aetiopathogenic relationship between MRG and PPH and candidal infection has not been found; and (iv) only limited evidence is available for any DAES treatment, thus making it impossible to make strong therapeutic recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine, Pathology and Laser-assisted Surgery Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Polonelli
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aguirre-Urizar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrozzo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McCullough
mesh_terms: D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D005928:Glossitis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000382:microbiology; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000473:pathology