RESPONSE TO FLUCONAZOLE AND ITRACONAZOLE OF CANDIDA SPP. IN DENTURE STOMATITIS

The significance of Candida albicans in the development of denture sto matitis (DS), as well as the clinical and microbiological efficacy of treatment with fluconazole and itraconazole was studied in 115 patient s affected with DS and 200 controls (100 healthy patients with dental prosthesis and 100 healthy patients without prosthesis). Specimens wer e taken from all patients; subsequently all patients with positive cul ture of the DS group were treated with fluconazole. A second specimen was taken after 15 days of treatment with fluconazole, and if the resu lts were positive again, treatment with itraconazole was instituted an d the patients were given appointments for taking a third specimen. Th e incidence of C. albicans was 92% in the group of patients with DS. A fter treatment with fluconazole, a clinical cure of 97% and a microbio logical cure of 78% was obtained in the patients with DS. In 3.2% of t he cases strains resistant to fluconazole were found. The cases of mic robiological resistance to fluconazole were treated with itraconazole resulting in a clinical cure of 100% and a microbiological cure of 77% . The results show the poor correlation of the clinico-microbiological response after treatment with these antifungal agents in denture stom atitis.