Fluconazole in the management of oropharyngeal candidosis in a predominantly HIV antibody-positive group of patients.

Seventy-one patients with oropharyngeal candidosis received treatment with fluconazole given as a single 50 mg capsule once daily. Of these patients 61 were HIV-antibody positive. Candidosis had been present in nearly all patients for a least one month prior to fluconazole treatment. The duration of daily therapy was 5-20 days and in many cases this was followed by a period of maintenance treatment using 50 mg fluconazole every 48 h. In all 42 symptomatic patients, clinical resolution of the infection occurred within 7 days. Significantly, this included the disappearance of dysphagia in four patients with proven candidal oesophagitis. A marked reduction, or eradication of oral yeasts occurred concomitantly in virtually all patients. Fluconazole was well tolerated by all patients and there were no significant changes in haematological or hepatic parameters that could be attributed to the drug. The results suggest that fluconazole is an appropriate treatment for oropharyngeal candidosis and comparative studies with other agents should now be conducted.