Beclomethasone dipropionate and oropharyngeal candidiasis

A survey of 936 patients attending a respiratory diseases unit outpatient department was performed to assess the incidence of oropharyngeal candidiasis in patients inhaling beclomethasone dipropionate in daily doses of 400 mug or less. Throat swabs from 209 (41%) patients treated with beclomethasone were positive on culture for yeasts compared with positive swabs from 77 (27.2%) patients not receiving corticosteroid therapy either orally or by inhalation. Clinical oropharyngeal thrush, confirmed by culture, was detected in 28 (5.5%) patients inhaling beclomethasone, one (0.7%) patient receiving treatment with oral prednisolone, and two (0.7%) patients not being treated with corticosteroids.