Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, Sites of Infection and Treatment Outcomes of Mucocutaneous Candidiasis Caused by Non-Albicans Species of Candida at a Dermatologic Clinic.

Background: Increasing numbers of mucocutaneous infection due to non-albicans species of Candida (N-CA) had been reported. Laboratory based studies showed multidrug resistance in N-CA population.

Objective: Demonstrate epidemiology, clinical characteristics, sites of infection, and treatment outcomes of mucocutaneous candidiasis caused by N-CA at a dermatologic clinic, including statistical evaluation data between N-CA and C. albicans infections.

Material And Method: This was a cross sectional study of outpatients with mucocutaneous infection due to Candida at Dermatologic clinic between January 2012 and June 2014. Vaginal candidiasis was excluded. Demographic, clinical, laboratory data, and treatment outcomes were collected.

Results: Among 760 patients presented with mucocutaneous candidiasis, 307 (40.4%) were infected with N-CA. The mean age (SD) of N-CA patients was 63.6 (10.4) years and 74.6% were female. The majority of N-CA cases were isolated from patients' nails (n = 293, 95.4%) while eight (2.6%) were detected from their skin, and six (2%)from oral mucosa. Comparison between N-CA and C. albicans, skin, and mucosa infection were significantly demonstrated in C. albicans groups (p < 0.001). Among nail infected patients, C. albicans infections had significant higher severity than the N-CA infection (p = 0.017). Median time to cure in N-CA population was 169 days, which had no significant difference from C. albicans groups (211 days, p = 0.499).

Conclusion: Forty percent of mucocutaneous candidiasis was caused by N-CA. Nails were the most common sites of N-CA infections but N-CA was sometime found in skin and mucosa. Treatment outcomes of N-CA population were not significantly different from those of C. albicans groups.