What is the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of oral thrush?

Oral Thrush: Teaching Points

Clinical Presentation

Oral thrush typically presents as painless, creamy white, plaque-like lesions on the buccal mucosa, oropharyngeal mucosa, or tongue surface that can be easily scraped off with a tongue depressor. 1

Three Main Clinical Patterns 1

• Pseudomembranous candidiasis: Creamy white, plaque-like lesions on buccal or oropharyngeal mucosa or tongue surface that are easily scraped off 1
• Erythematous candidiasis: Red patches without white plaques on the anterior or posterior upper palate or diffusely on the tongue 1
• Angular cheilitis: Fissuring and inflammation at the corners of the mouth, which may be caused by Candida 1

Associated Symptoms 1

• Most cases are painless, though some patients report burning sensation 2
• When esophageal involvement occurs, patients develop retrosternal burning pain, altered taste, and odynophagia 1
• Recurrent episodes may contribute to weight loss due to poor nutrition from intense pain 1

Key Risk Factors 1, 3

• Immunosuppression, particularly HIV infection with CD4+ counts <200 cells/µL 1, 3
• Use of corticosteroids, including inhaled steroids 3
• Radiation therapy to head and neck 3
• Broad-spectrum antibiotic use 4
• Poor oral hygiene and ill-fitting dentures 2

Differential Diagnosis

The key distinguishing feature of oral thrush is that the white plaques can be scraped off, unlike oral hairy leukoplakia which cannot be removed. 1

White Lesions That Can Mimic Thrush 5

• Oral hairy leukoplakia: White lesions that cannot be scraped off (key differentiator) 1
• Leukoplakia: Firmly adherent white lesions, often tobacco-induced, considered premalignant 5
• Lichen planus: Inflammatory disease with firmly adherent white lesions 5
• White sponge nevus: Hereditary condition with keratotic lesions 5

Other Conditions to Consider 6

• Traumatic ulceration: Location and shape correspond to stimulating factor (sharp teeth, dentures) 6
• Squamous cell carcinoma: Must be excluded in any solitary ulcer persisting >2 weeks, especially in patients >40 years with tobacco/alcohol use 6
• Medication-induced ulceration: From NSAIDs, doxycycline 6
• Systemic diseases: Behçet's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, HIV 6

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of oropharyngeal candidiasis is usually clinical based on the appearance of lesions and the ability to scrape off the superficial whitish plaques. 1

Clinical Diagnosis 1

• Visual inspection revealing characteristic white plaques that can be scraped off 1
• Assessment of distribution (buccal mucosa, tongue, palate) 1
• Evaluation for predisposing factors (immunosuppression, medications, dentures) 1, 3

Laboratory Confirmation (When Required) 1

• KOH preparation: Scraping examined microscopically for yeast forms provides supportive diagnostic information 1
• Culture: Identifies the specific Candida species present 1
• Note: Laboratory confirmation is rarely required for typical presentations but useful for refractory cases 1

Investigations for Underlying Causes 6

• HIV antibody testing: For persistent or recurrent cases without obvious cause 6
• Fasting blood glucose: To screen for diabetes 6
• Complete blood count: To assess for hematologic abnormalities 6
• Nutritional markers: B vitamins, iron, folate levels 6

When to Perform Endoscopy 1

• Suspected esophageal candidiasis requires endoscopic visualization with histopathologic demonstration of Candida yeast forms in tissue and culture confirmation 1
• Consider if patient has odynophagia, retrosternal pain, or fever suggesting esophageal involvement 1

Management

Oral fluconazole is the preferred first-line treatment as it is as effective and superior to topical therapy in certain studies, more convenient, and generally better tolerated. 1

First-Line Treatment 1

• Fluconazole 100-200 mg orally daily for 7-14 days (AI recommendation) 1
• Alternative: Itraconazole oral solution 200 mg daily for 7-14 days (as effective as fluconazole but less well tolerated) 1, 7

Topical Therapy (Less Preferred) 1

• Clotrimazole troches or nystatin suspension/pastilles (BII recommendation) 1
• Adequate for initial episodes but less convenient than systemic therapy 1
• Ketoconazole and itraconazole capsules are less effective due to variable absorption and should be second-line alternatives 1

Esophageal Candidiasis 1

• Requires systemic therapy: Fluconazole or itraconazole solution for 14-21 days 1
• Caspofungin and voriconazole are effective but fluconazole remains preferred agent 1

Refractory Cases 1

• Fluconazole resistance is associated with cumulative exposure (mean 8.7 g total dose) 1
• Emergence of non-albicans species (C. glabrata, C. krusei) with intrinsic reduced azole susceptibility 1, 3
• Consider alternative azoles or echinocandins for resistant cases 1
• Examination of partners recommended as transmission of resistant isolates documented 1

Special Populations 8

• Pediatric patients: Fluconazole 6 mg/kg on day 1, then 3 mg/kg daily; efficacy established in children 6 months to 13 years 8
• Geriatric patients: Adjust dose based on creatinine clearance due to renal excretion 8
• Pregnant women: Fluconazole at high doses (80-320 mg/kg in animal studies) showed embryolethality and fetal abnormalities; use with caution 8
• Breastfeeding: Fluconazole present in low levels in breast milk; estimated infant dose is 13% of pediatric maintenance dose 8

Monitoring

Treatment Response 1, 9

• Clinical improvement expected within 3-5 days of starting treatment 9
• Single-dose fluconazole 150 mg showed 96.5% improvement in signs/symptoms by days 3-5 in palliative care patients 9
• Re-evaluate if no improvement after 7-14 days of appropriate therapy 1

Follow-Up for Recurrence 1, 7

• Relapse is common, particularly in immunosuppressed patients 1
• Median time to relapse is 14 days when treatment discontinued in fluconazole-unresponsive patients 7
• Approximately 23% of patients with esophageal candidiasis relapse within 4 weeks 7

Monitoring for Resistance 1, 3

• Track cumulative fluconazole exposure in patients requiring repeated courses 1
• Consider culture and susceptibility testing for refractory cases 1
• Monitor for emergence of non-albicans species in patients with repeated azole exposure 1, 3

Important Considerations

Prevention Strategies 1, 3

• The best prophylaxis for oral thrush in HIV-infected patients is effective antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 1, 3
• Routine primary prophylaxis with fluconazole is NOT recommended due to concerns about drug resistance development 3
• Proper denture hygiene and limiting denture wear until tissues heal 10
• Alcohol-free mouthwashes and adequate hydration 10

Common Pitfalls to Avoid 1, 6, 2

• Misdiagnosis: Oral thrush is frequently missed due to similarity with other white lesions; clinicians must be familiar with the scrapable nature of thrush plaques 2
• Overlooking systemic causes: Persistent or recurrent thrush warrants investigation for underlying immunosuppression, diabetes, or HIV 6, 4
• Inadequate treatment duration: Esophageal candidiasis requires 14-21 days, not the shorter courses used for oropharyngeal disease 1
• Ignoring drug interactions: Triazoles have potential drug-drug interactions with HAART that must be considered 1

When to Refer or Escalate 6, 7

• Lesions persisting >2 weeks despite appropriate treatment 6
• Suspected esophageal involvement requiring endoscopy 1
• Refractory cases unresponsive to fluconazole 7
• Need for biopsy to exclude malignancy in atypical presentations 6

Impact on Quality of Life 1, 9

• Oral thrush causes distressing symptoms affecting oral intake and nutrition 9
• Recurrent intense pain contributes to weight loss in immunosuppressed patients 1
• Effective treatment significantly improves both number and severity of symptoms 9