Review

Authors: Abdimajid Ahmed Mohamed, Xin-Liang Lu, Faycal Awaleh Mounmin...

Esophageal candidiasis (EC) is the most common type of infectious esophagitis. In the gastrointestinal tract, the esophagus is the second most susceptible to candida infection, only after the oropharynx. Immunocompromised patients are most at risk, including patients with HIV/AIDS, leukemia, diabetics, and those who are receiving corticosteroids, radiation, and chemotherapy. Another group includes those who used antibiotics frequently and those who have esophageal motility disorder (cardiac achalasia and scleroderma). Patients complained of pain on swallowing, difficulty swallowing, and pain behind the sternum. On physical examination, there is a plaque that often occurs together with oral thrush. Endoscopic examination is the best approach to diagnose this disease by directly observing the white mucosal plaque-like lesions and exudates adherent to the mucosa. These adherent lesions cannot be washed off with water from irrigation. This disease is confirmed histologically by taking the biopsy or brushings of yeast and pseudohyphae invading mucosal cells. The treatment is by systemic antifungal drugs given orally in a defined course. It is important to differentiate esophageal candidiasis from other forms of infectious esophagitis such as cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, medication-induced esophagitis, radiation-induced esophageal injury, and inflammatory conditions such as eosinophilic esophagitis. Except for a few complications such as necrotizing esophageal candidiasis, fistula, and sepsis, the prognosis of esophageal candidiasis has been good.

Topics: Antifungal Agents; Candidiasis; Esophagitis; Humans

PubMed: 31772927
DOI: 10.1155/2019/3585136

Authors: Takeshi Kondo, Kazuhiko Terada

Topics: Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Candida albicans; Candidiasis; Deglutition Disorders; Esophagitis; Esophagoscopy; Esophagus; Humans; Male

PubMed: 28423304
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm1614893

Authors: Odin Joensen, Michael Howitz

Topics: Candida; Candidiasis; Esophagitis; Humans; Risk Factors

PubMed: 30404710
DOI: No ID Found

Authors: Yan-Hua Chen, Tzu-Ming Jao, Yow-Ling Shiue...

BACKGROUND

esophagitis (CE) is among the commonest esophageal infections and is known as an opportunistic fungal infection mostly affecting people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, some medical conditions might predispose HIV-negative individuals to esophageal candidiasis. The epidemiology and associated endoscopic findings of CE among people without HIV have rarely been reported.

AIM

To investigate the prevalence of CE among HIV-negative persons, and determine risk factors predicting CE.

METHODS

Between January 2015 and December 2018, all consecutive outpatients who underwent routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy as part of health check-ups at their own expense at the Health Check-up Center of the Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, were recruited in this study. Those with positive HIV serology results were excluded. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics including age, gender, economic status, smoking history, alcohol consumption, tea and coffee consumption, underlying diseases, body fat percentage, body mass index, endoscopic findings, and infection status were carefully reviewed. CE was confirmed by endoscopic biopsy and pathological assessment with hematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining. To evaluate independent factors predicting the development of CE, we conducted a univariate analysis of clinical characteristics. The variables found to be significant univariate analysis were subsequently included in a multivariable analysis of potential risk factors for CE development.

RESULTS

A total of 11802 participants were included in this study. Forty-seven (0.4%) were confirmed as having CE by pathological examination. Univariate analysis identified older age, the presence of chronic kidney disease, alcohol consumption, and steroid use ( = 0.023, < 0.001, 0.033, and 0.004, respectively) as significantly associated with CE. Multivariable analysis revealed older age [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.027; 95%CI: 1.001-1.053; = 0.045], chronic kidney disease (adjusted OR = 13.470; 95%CI: 4.574-39.673; < 0.001), alcohol consumption (adjusted OR = 2.103; 95%CI: 1.151-3.844; = 0.016), and steroid use (adjusted OR = 24.255; 95%CI: 5.343-110.115; < 0.001) as independent risk factors for CE development. The presence of dysphagia was associated with severe CE ( = 0.021).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of CE among HIV-negative persons was 0.4% in Taiwan. Independent risk factors for CE were older age, chronic kidney disease, alcohol consumption, and steroid use.

PubMed: 36338217
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i30.10896

Authors: Kais Zakharia, James H Tabibian

Infection is the second most common cause of esophagitis, second only to gastroesophageal reflux, and represents a clinically important disorder. Immunosuppressed patients are at highest risk for infectious esophagitis, with herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus being the most common causative microorganisms. Here we provide a brief clinical review and present a case of concomitant oropharyngeal and presumed esophageal candidiasis in a patient with autoimmune hepatitis who was initiated on high-dose corticosteroid therapy and soon thereafter develop odynodysphagia and who was found to have herpes esophagitis diagnosed by endoscopy and histopathology.

PubMed: 31897451
DOI: 10.33582/2637-4900/1004

Authors: Sara Castelo Branco, Ana Teresa Ferreira, Sofia Saraiva...

UNLABELLED

Candida infection of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is rare in the immunocompetent individual. In immunocompromised patients, it frequently involves the oesophagus, but extra-oesophageal involvement is uncommon. We report a case of primary and isolated gastroduodenal candidiasis. Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy of gastric mucosa was crucial for making the diagnosis. The patient showed transient improvement after therapy with fluconazole.

LEARNING POINTS

Gastroduodenal candidiasis is rarely documented in the literature.Old age is an independent risk factor for fungal infection of the gastrointestinal tract.In this case, fungal gastroduodenitis was associated with gastroparesis.

PubMed: 30755955
DOI: 10.12890/2017_000628

Randomized Controlled Trial

Authors: Alfredo J Lucendo, Stephan Miehlke, Christoph Schlag...

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Swallowed topical-acting corticosteroids are recommended as first-line therapy for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Asthma medications not optimized for esophageal delivery are sometimes effective, although given off-label. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of a budesonide orodispersible tablet (BOT), which allows the drug to be delivered to the esophagus in adults with active EoE.

METHODS

We performed a double-blind, parallel study of 88 adults with active EoE in Europe. Patients were randomly assigned to groups that received BOT (1 mg twice daily; n = 59) or placebo (n = 29) for 6 weeks. The primary end point was complete remission, based on clinical and histologic factors, including dysphagia and odynophagia severity ≤2 on a scale of 0-10 on each of the 7 days before the end of the double-blind phase and a peak eosinophil count <5 eosinophils/high power field. Patients who did not achieve complete remission at the end of the 6-week double-blind phase were offered 6 weeks of open-label treatment with BOT (1 mg twice daily).

RESULTS

At 6 weeks, 58% of patients given BOT were in complete remission compared with no patients given placebo (P < .0001). The secondary end point of histologic remission was achieved by 93% of patients given BOT vs no patients given placebo (P < .0001). After 12 weeks, 85% of patients had achieved remission. Six-week and 12-week BOT administration were safe and well tolerated; 5% of patients who received BOT developed symptomatic, mild candida, which was easily treated with an oral antifungal agent.

CONCLUSIONS

In a randomized trial of adults with active EoE, we found that budesonide oral tablets were significantly more effective than placebo in inducing clinical and histologic remission. Eudra-CT number 2014-001485-99; ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02434029.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Antifungal Agents; Budesonide; Candidiasis, Oral; Double-Blind Method; Eosinophilic Esophagitis; Esophagoscopy; Female; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Tablets; Treatment Outcome

PubMed: 30922997
DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.03.025