Characterization of the mycoflora from oral mucosal surfaces of some HIV-infected patients

Oral mucosal surfaces from 54 patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were assayed for the presence of cultivable yeasts. Oral colonization with Candida albicans, represented by 6 biotypes, was evident in 35 persons. The closely related variant, Candida stellatoidea, was found in 3 patients. Single isolates of Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, and Candida paratropicalis were also identified. One patient harbored a population of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The susceptibilities of these 43 isolates to clotrimazole and nystatin were compared by the disk diffusion technique.