Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis definition

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a heterogeneous disorder of the immune system. Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis may be characterized by persistent candida infections of the mucous membranes, scalp, skin and nails. It may be secondary to one of the immunodeficiency syndromes, inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Candida is a fungus of the yeast category.

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a form of candidiasis that usually develops during the first year of life but occasionally occurs as late as the 20s. It affects males and females equally. Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is also known as Candida Related Complex.

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis causes

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a spectrum of immunodeficiency diseases, that is characterized by an impaired host response to candidal organisms. Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a rare condition caused by fungus. In case of Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, the body is less able to fight fungal infections, including yeast infections. These disorders may be confined to the cutaneous surface, with little propensity for systemic involvement.

It is also responsible for the common infection vaginal CANDIDIASIS or thrush. In some patients, anergy may result from deficient migration inhibition factor, a mediator normally produced by lymphocytes.

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis Symptoms

Most cases of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis occur in childhood, there are a number of cases that first appear in adulthood, sometimes as late as 50 years of age. These chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis infections seldom produce systemic symptoms, but in late stages may be associated with recurrent respiratory tract infections.

Symptoms may also be included hoarseness, dysphagia, and hemoptysis. There was poor correlation between oral lesions and laryngeal involvement.

The other symptoms of the chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis may include:

• babies will have a history of oral thrush
• fingernails - nails may split and discolored
• mouth - blisters and oral thrush
• skin - scaly, red rash often in the vaginal area
• eyes - infection of the cornea and eyelids

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis Treatments

Most patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis are treated with chronic that are specific for fungal infections.

Treatment aims to control infection but is not always successful. Miconazole and nystatin are sometimes useful but ultimately fail to control this infection.

A course of one or two weeks therapy is given to start with. If the Candida infection recurs quickly.

Usually, the infections may be treated with an antifungal drug- nystatin ( mycostatin, nilstat ) or clotrimazole ( lotrimi, mycelex )-applied to the skin. The primary contributing factor is the use of oral antibiotics (esp. tetracycline).

Treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis can be divided into three categories:

• antifungal agents
• immunologic therapies
• combination therapy.