Candida albicans: Saprophyte or Pathogen?
A Diagnostic Guideline
- Philip J. Kozinn, MD;
- Claire L. Taschdjian, MS
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
Isolation of Candida albicans from a patient's stools, sputum, or urine tends to obfuscate rather than clarify the diagnosis. The clinician's uncertainty as to the significance of Candida or ganisms cultured from skin lesions or from blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and other internal foci has all too often delayed or prevented administration of specific therapy.
Much of the confusion concerning the diagnostic interpretation of C albicans isolated from clinical specimens stems from faulty concepts as to the saprophytic occurrence of the organism. Despite ample evidence to the contrary,1 many textbooks and articles still perpetuate the thoughtless statement that C albicans occurs saprophytically on normal skin. As a result, a Candida organism cultured from blood and other visceral specimens is often shrugged off as a "skin contaminant," with usually tragic consequences for the patient. Failure to recognize the role of C albicans in the etiology of skin lesions may lead to
Footnotes
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