Paediatric AIDS - related linear gingival erythema: a form of erythematouscandidiasis?

Three vertically HIV-infected children showed, in addition to oral candidia sis, HIV-gingivitis, which healed on antimycotic treatment. The intense lin ear gingival erythema of a fourth child was also clinically evaluated as a possible form of erythematous oral candidiasis. Direct microscopic examinat ion of material from the gingival lesions of the latter disclosed yeast cel ls and hyphae. Subsequent culture, biochemical and serological tests identi fied the yeast as Candida dublininesis. As the patient was on long-term pro phylaxis with fluconazole, ketoconazole was administered and led to a good clinical response. This is the first report implicating this new Candida sp ecies as a pathogen in linear gingival erythema in a HIV-positive individua l. The case reports presented provide evidence that linear gingival erythem a may be of candidal origin. Further clinical and laboratory observations a re required to establish whether this condition constitutes a variant of er ythematous candidiasis associated with paediatric HIV infection.