Objective: To study the clinical and immunological features of esophageal candidiasis in patients with no changes in cellular immunity.
Patients and methods: Seven patients with the endoscopic diagnosis of esophageal candidiasis were studied and in no patient were changes in cellular immunity detected. An investigation was carried out of the presence of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus antigen, lymphocyte populations, complement, and immunoglobulins.
Results: Seven male patients with a mean age of 57 years (range: 43-67 years) and no underlying diseases were studied. The symptom at presentation in all cases was dysphagia and odynophagia of several days; two patients had also retro-sternal pain and one of them upper digestive hemorrhage. The digestive endoscopy showed white confluent patches highly suggestive of esophageal candidiasis. Therapy with intravenous fluconazole was started and both the clinical course and endoscopic lesions had a favorable outcome. Antibodies and antigen of human immunodeficiency virus were negative. Lymphocyte populations, complement, and immunoglobulins were normal in all patients but one, in whom a severe IgG hypogammaglobulinemia was detected.
Comment: Esophageal candidiasis, though rare, is an entity to be considered in immunocompetent patients or with no changes in cellular immunity.