Oral infections caused by yeasts in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy. Identification of the yeasts and evaluation of their antifungal susceptibility.

BULACIO, LUCÍA; PAZ, M; RAMADAN, SILVANA; RAMOS, LAURA; PAIROBA, C; SORTINO, MAXIMILIANO; LÓPEZ, CLARA

JOURNAL DE MYCOLOGIE MEDICALE

MASSON EDITEUR

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2012 vol. 22 p. 348 - 353

1156-5233

Summary Yeasts occur as part of the normal human microbiota. Nevertheless, some species are opportunistic, affecting immunocompromised patients such as those undergoing oncologic treatment. Objective. To detect the presence of yeasts in patients suffering from head and neck cancer who are receiving radiation therapy and display lesions in the oral cavity, compatible with candidiasis; and to evaluate the antifungal susceptibility of the isolates recovered. Methods. Sixty samples from patients were obtained by swabbing the oral mucosa. Identification of isolates were performed by classical taxonomic, morphological and biochemical methods as well as by using commercial identification kits. Susceptibility to antifungal drugs was determined by the agar diffusion method with Neosensitabs1 disks. Results. Forty-six samples (77%) yielded positive findings, and species recovered were:Candida albicans (22 isolates), Candida tropicalis (13 isolates), Candida parapsilosis (six strains),Candida krusei (three strains), Candida dubliniensis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (one each).