Candidiasis Health Article

Definition

Candidiasis is an infection caused by a species of the yeast Candida, usually the Candida albicans fungus. Candida is found on various parts of the bodies of almost all normal people but causes problems in only a few. Candidiasis can affect the skin, nails, and mucous membranes throughout the body including the mouth (thrush), esophagus, vagina (yeast infection), intestines, and lungs.

Description

Candida may cause yeast mouth infections (also known as thrush) in children with reduced immune function or in children taking certain antibiotics. Antibiotics may upset the balance of microorganisms in the body and allow an overgrowth of Candida. The use of inhaled steroids for the treatment of asthma has also been shown to cause oral candidiasis. Many infants acquire candidiasis from their mothers during the process of birth, when the baby comes in contact with naturally existing Candida found in the mother's vagina. Candidiasis is not considered harmful to infants unless it lasts more than several weeks after birth. These yeast mouth infections cause creamy white, curd-like patches on the tongue, inside of the mouth, and on the back of the throat. Under the whitish material, there are red lesions that may bleed.

Candida also may infect an infant's diaper rash, as it grows rapidly on irritated and moist skin. Children who suck their thumbs or other fingers may also develop candidiasis around their fingernails, causing redness on the nail edges.

Candida is a common cause of vaginal infections in adolescent girls, especially when the normal populations of the bacteria Lactobacilli have been reduced due to antibiotic use, allowing the overgrowth of Candida. A candidiasis infection in the vagina results in itching, burning, soreness, and a thick, white vaginal discharge.

Other risk factors for candidiasis include obesity, heat, and excessive sweating that result in the formation of moist skin areas where the yeast organism can grow.

In the early 2000s, several serious categories of candidiasis have become more common, due to overuse of antibiotics, the rise of AIDS, the increase in incidence of organ transplantations, the use of chemotherapy in cancer treatment, and the implantation of invasive devices (e.g., nasogastric tubes, catheters, and artificial joints and valves) into the body—all of which increase a patient's susceptibility to infection. Diabetics are especially susceptible to candidiasis, as they have high levels of sugar in their blood and urine and a low resistance to infection, both of which are conditions that favor the growth of yeast. Also known as invasive candidiasis, deep organ candidiasis is a serious systemic infection that can affect the esophagus, heart, blood, liver, spleen, kidneys, eyes, and skin. Like vaginal and oral candidiasis, it is an opportunistic disease that strikes when a child's resistance is lowered, often due to another illness. Children with granulocytopenia (deficiency of white blood cells) are particularly at risk for deep organ candidiasis. There are many diagnostic categories of deep organ candidiasis, depending on the tissues involved.

In the past candidiasis was referred to as moniliasis.

Demographics

Candidiasis is an extremely common infection. Thrush occurs in approximately 2–5 percent of healthy newborns and occurs in a slightly higher percentage of infants during their first year of life.

Over 1 million adult women and adolescent girls in the United States develop vaginal yeast infections each year. It is not life-threatening, but the condition can be uncomfortable and frustrating.

Causes and symptoms

Candidiasis is caused by a species of the yeast Candida, usually the Candida albicans fungus.

In oral candidiasis, the disease is characterized by whitish patches that appear on the tongue, inside of the cheeks, or on the palate. Pain or difficulty in swallowing may indicate a fungal infection in the throat, which is a potential complication of AIDS. Most adolescent girls with vaginal candidiasis experience severe vaginal itching and have a discharge that often looks like cottage cheese and has a sweet or bread-like odor. The vulva and vagina can be red, swollen, and painful. The infected skin in diaper rash that includes infection with Candida appears fiery red with areas that may have a raised red border.

Effects of deep organ or systematic candidiasis include meningitis, arthritis, fungemia (fungi in the blood, causing fever and possibly leading to sepsis), endocarditis (heart infection), endophthalmitis (infection and scarring in the eye that can affect vision), and renal or bladder bezoars (colonization and blockage of the urinary tract by Candida, which can cause urinary tract infections and kidney failure.