Prevalence of Oral Candidiasis in Diabetic Patients Referring to Aliasghar Hospital in Zahedan

Abstract Background and Objective: Oral candidiasis is a common opportunistic infection in diabetic patients. Candida albicans is colonized on different oral surfaces such as tongue, palate, dental caries and plaques.&nbsp; This study aimed to determine the prevalence of&nbsp;&nbsp; Candida albicans in the mouth of&nbsp;&nbsp; diabetic patient. Material and Methods: This cross - sectional study was conducted on 120 diabetic patients. After completing the questionnaire, the&nbsp;&nbsp; saliva samples were obtained and cultured&nbsp;&nbsp; on sabouraud agar medium containing 0.005% chloramphenicol. For final diagnosis, Germ tube test and Sugar absorption test (with API 120 kit) were used. Results:&nbsp; Of 120 patients, 61 (50.8%) were positive for Candida.&nbsp; Candida infection rate was relatively higher in older patients and in women.&nbsp; The rate was significant in the patients using dentures (P< 0.001) and&nbsp;&nbsp; the ones keeping on smoking (P <0.038).&nbsp; The infection in the patients with type II diabetes was higher than the cases with Type I. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of Candidiasis and Candida colonization in the mouth of diabetic patients, it is a necessity to identify and treat these infections in order to prevent further complications. Keywords: Candidiasis, Diabetes Mellitus, Fungal Infections