Microbio Week 8 - Candida (Mini Exam)

Question 1

What is the most common cause of all fungal infections?

Answer 1

Candida

Question 2

Is Candida a regular member of the human normal microbiota?

Answer 2

Yes!!!

Question 3

T/F: Candida is not a regular member of the normal microbiota of the oral cavity

Answer 3

FALSE, it is a regular member of the normal microbiota of the oral cavity!!

Question 4

When can Candida become more invasive and cause a variety of infections?

Answer 4

Immunocompromised

Question 5

What are the different types of Candida infections?

Answer 5

Superficial mucosal inflammatory rxns
Severe systemic disease

Question 6

What is the most commonly isolated species of Candida?

Answer 6

Candida albicans

Question 7

What is the morphology of Candida albicans?

Answer 7

Dimorphic (yeast + mold forms)

Question 8

Short, non-septate, hyphal outgrowths with no constrictions

Answer 8

Germ tubes

Question 9

What can you also get the formation of in the dimorphic morphology of Candida albicans?

Answer 9

Germ tubes

Question 10

When are germ tubes produced in Candida albicans?

Answer 10

Initial stage of hyphal formation

Question 11

What does the detection of germ tubes help with?

Answer 11

Distinguishing Candida albicans from other yeast

Question 12

What are the virulence factors of Candida albicans that aid in pathogenesis?

Answer 12

Adhesin proteins
Acid proteases
Phospholipase

Question 13

What do adhesin proteins do?

Answer 13

Adhesion

Question 14

What do acid proteases do?

Answer 14

Degradation

Question 15

What does phospholipase do?

Answer 15

Invasion -> hyphal formation

Question 16

Where does Candida albicans live in the human body?

Answer 16

Skin
Mucosal membranes

Question 17

What type of pathogen is Candida albicans?

Answer 17

Opportunistic

Question 18

What is Candida infection most often due to?

Answer 18

Overgrowth of person’s own normal flora bc of decreased immune protection

Question 19

How can Candida albicans be transmitted?

Answer 19

Exogenous (catheters, protsthetics)
Person-to-person (birth)

Question 20

What are some predisposing factors for overgrowth of Candida albicans?

Answer 20

Age (very young + elderly)
HIV, transplant recipients
Malignancy, cytotoxic therapies
Prostheses/dentures
Diabetes/high sugar intake
Sjogrens syndrome, xerostomia

*important to address these in treatment

Question 21

What diseases does Candida albicans cause?

Answer 21

Oral candidiasis
Skin + nail infections

Question 22

What is another name for pseudomembranous candidiasis?

Answer 22

Thrush

Question 23

What does pseudomembranous candidiasis (thrush) look like?

Answer 23

Cream colored, crumbling, curd-like white patches

Question 24

Does pseudomembranous candidiasis (thrush) rub off easily?

Answer 24

YES

Question 25

What does erythematous candidiasis look like?

Answer 25

Red inflamed areas of varying size

Question 26

What does angular chelitis look like?

Answer 26

Painful, cracked sores at corners of mouth

Question 27

What does chronic hyperplastic leukoplakia look like?

Answer 27

Individual white lesions

Question 28

Does chronic hyperplastic leukoplakia rub off easily?

Answer 28

NO (this the difference between chronic hyperplastic leukoplakia and thrush!)

Question 29

What does median rhomboid glossitis look like?

Answer 29

Smooth or lobulated dark pink/red area on back of tongue

Question 30

Is median rhomboid glossitis localized or generalized?

Answer 30

Localized

Question 31

What does median rhomboid glossitis involve?

Answer 31

Central papillary atrophy of tongue

Question 32

What people is median rhomboid glossitis commonly seen in?

Answer 32

Smokers Inhalation-steroid users

Question 33

What is chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis?

Answer 33

Persistent/recurrent Candida infections on skin, nails, oral cavity

Question 34

What is chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis associated with?

Answer 34

Defects in cell-mediated immunity

Question 35

Which type of Candida albicans infection is genetic?

Answer 35

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis

Question 36

How do you diagnose Candida albicans?

Answer 36

Direct microscopic exam - wet mount using 10% KOH or silver stain

Question 37

What does the wet mount using 10% KOH do?

Answer 37

Removes all other cells except yeast and hyphae

Question 38

What does the silver stain do?

Answer 38

Allows you to visualize hyphae

Question 39

What are you looking for on the direct microscopic exam when diagnosing Candida albicans?

Answer 39

Round/ovoid yeast cells, pseudohyphae, and hyphae

Question 40

What are 2 other ways to diagnose Candida albicans?

Answer 40

Culture - using Sab's agar Germ tube test

Question 41

What does Sab's agar do?

Answer 41

IDs fungal types by color

Question 42

How do you treat candida albicans?

Answer 42

Nystatin (mouthwash, lozenge, topical forms)

Question 43

Is there a vaccine for Candida albicans?

Answer 43

NO