Abstract
Cultures were taken by cotton swab method from tongues which had no lesions and showed no fungus by direct examination. Candida spp. were isolated from 23 of 27 cases on oral steroids, 22 of 51 cases with internal disease, and 31 of 132 controls. Of 76 isolated strains of Candida spp., 62 were identified as C. albicans A, 5 as C. albicans B, and 9 as other spp.
The detection rate of C. albicans on controls diffed with age; the rate under 60 years was 12 of 110 (10.9%), while that of 61 and over was 12 of 22 (54.5%). C. albicans was isolated from 18 of 21 (85.7%) cases on oral steroids, and 17 of 40 (42.5%) cases with internal disease under 60 years old.
C. albicans had thus increased on the tongue of many cases on oral steroids, those with internal disease, and controls 61 years and over even though no fungus was shown by direct examination. The detection of C. albicans by cotton swab method indicates the possibility of a compromised host.
