FLUCONAZOLE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CANDIDA ISOLATES FROM OROPHARYNGEAL CANDIDOSIS

Fifty strains of Candida isolated from 38 patients with oropharyngeal candidosis were tested in vitro for fluconazole susceptibility with a disk diffusion test and for determination of minimal inhibitory concen trations (MICs). For 25 patients treated with fluconazole, the relatio nship between in vitro susceptibility and clinical outcome was analyse d. A good correlation between in vitro results and therapeutic efficac y was found. In only one case was treatment failure associated with a susceptible strain. Mixed cultures of Candida albicans and non-albican s Candida species were not uncommon and, more interestingly, some samp les contained different strains of C. albicans with varied fluconazole susceptibilities. Good agreement was observed between the two techniq ues used for fluconazole susceptibility testing.