Although many oral ulcers have similar clinical appearances, their etiologies can range from reactive to neoplastic to oral manifestations of dermatological diseases. In patients with an HIV infection, fungal diseases may cause ulceration in the oral cavity; however, there have been few studies of oral ulcerative lesions associated with Candida in patients without an HIV infection. Nevertheless, we encountered chronic oral ulcer associated with Candida among our frequent outpatients without an HIV infection. The present article reviews the causes of oral ulcers, focusing on Candida as a protractive factor for chronic oral ulcers, and it is recommended that Candida involvement be considered in diagnosis of a certain chronic oral ulcer, that remains of unknown origin even if some examinations have been performed.
Keywords: Candida-associated lesions; Chronic oral ulcer; Oral candidiasis; Secondary candidiasis.