Photodynamic therapy to control oral candidiasis in a pediatric patient undergoing head and neck radiotherapy

Candida albicans is an opportunistic yeast of the oral microbiome which can cause candidiasis in systemically susceptible individuals, such as those undergoing cancer treatment. The local management of the oral lesions is challenging and may be significantly improved with photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT consists of an association of light with a photosensitizing agent and oxygen, whose interaction produces reactive oxygen species capable of reducing non-specific microbial contamination without causing side effects. This study aimed to report a case in which oral candidiasis was managed with PDT. A 12-year-old male patient undergoing head and neck radiotherapy (HNRT) for Undifferentiated Mesenchymal Neoplasm presented with dysgeusia, oral pain, and yeast infection on the 13th session of HNRT. The patient used topical antifungals for 30 consecutive days with no lesion or symptom remission. PDT was then proposed and the lesion was healed after a single PDT session, with no further clinical signs of infection and return to normal oral function. Local and non-invasive management of oral candidiasis is of utmost importance for immunocompromised patients, with good acceptability, no systemic side effects, and no drug interactions.