The resistance to fluconazole in patients with esophageal candidiasis

Esophageal candidiasis is often observed in patients with risk factors for its development and fluconazole is the therapeutic choice for the treatment of this disease.

To determine its frequency, by performing upper digestive endoscopy; to determine Candida species involved in its pathogenesis and verify their distribution according with the predisposing factors and to determine susceptibility to fluconazole in the samples.

From March 2006 to April 2007, all patients submitted to esophagogastroduodenoscopy at the Digestive Endoscopy Unit in the Oswaldo Cruz University Hospital, Recife, PE, Brazil, were eligible for the study. Samples were collected from patients who presented lesions consistent with esophageal candidiasis in order to identify Candida species and verify their susceptibility to fluconazole. The predisposing factors for the occurrence of esophageal candidiasis were described.

Of 2,672 patients referred to upper endoscopy at the Digestive Endoscopy Unit, 40 (1.5%) had endoscopic findings compatible with esophageal candidiasis. The average age was 49.1 years. Twenty one patients (52.5%) were less than 50 years old, of which 82.6% were infected with HIV. Most of them (52.5%) were males and 65.0% were inpatients. Diseases were identified in 90% of the patients and 21 (52.5%) were HIV positive. Concerning endoscopic findings, severe forms of esophagitis were found in 50% of the patients with CD4 count <200. Non-albicans Candida species were isolated in 22.7% of HIV positive and in 45% HIV negative patients. A total of 6 (14.28%) samples were resistant to fluconazole, while 2 (4.76%) samples had dose depending susceptibility to this drug.

Esophageal candidiasis prevalence was low, although within the results described by other authors. Male and inpatients were the most affected. The species isolated varied according to the characteristics of each group studied. Both, resistance and dose-depending susceptibility to fluconazole were considered high.