Flash information
- Form
- Pseudomembranous or erythematous
- Plaques
- Often removable
- Beneath plaque
- Red mucosa
- Predisposition
- Dry mouth, corticosteroids, immunosuppression
Definition
Oral candidiasis is a mucosal Candida infection; asymptomatic carriage may also occur.
Examination or reading method
Inspect tongue, palate and cheeks; assess dentures, dry mouth, antibiotics and inhaled corticosteroids.
Morphological description
The pseudomembranous form produces removable white plaques; other forms are red and painful.
Causes and diagnostic direction
Overgrowth is promoted by changes in local mucosa, flora or immune defences.
Differential diagnoses
Non-removable plaques raise leukoplakia or another mucosal lesion; appearance alone may be insufficient.
Associated findings
Assess burning, altered taste, angular cheilitis and metabolic or immunosuppressive conditions.
Red flags
Associated dysphagia or odynophagia warrants assessment for oesophageal involvement, particularly with immunosuppression.
Pitfalls and limitations
A positive culture may reflect carriage; a photograph establishes neither invasion nor fungal species.
Take-home message
Combine appearance, symptoms and predisposing factors; use mycological testing when clinically appropriate.
Sources
Documentary review: 2026-10-12
Media source & rights
- Author
- James Heilman, MD
- Original source
- James Heilman, MD — Human tongue infected with oral candidiasis.jpg — CC BY-SA 3.0 — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHuman_tongue_infected_with_oral_candidiasis.jpg
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 3.0
- Changes
- Orientation EXIF normalisée ; conversion WebP et redimensionnement proportionnel plafonné à 1600/400px ; aucun recadrage, aucune retouche médicale ; EXIF supprimé. Dérivé écran proportionnel ≤1280 px, WebP qualité76 ; vignette ≤320 px qualité72. Source acquise et dérivé initial conservés sans modification ; aucune retouche médicale, aucun recadrage.
- Dimensions
- 985 × 1280 px
- Check
- 2026-10-11