The effect of chlorhexidine mouth rinses on oral Candida in a group of leukemic patients.

Eighteen leukemic patients were examined for the presence of Candida albicans in the oral cavity. Fifteen patients were found to be Candida "carriers." Nine of the patients were put on a chlorhexidine mouth rinse regimen. Although chlorhexidine was clearly fungicidal in vitro, no decrease in Candida titer was obtained with the mouth rinse. The ineffectiveness of the drug in vivo might be due to the specific location of Candida organisms in the oral mucosa.