University of Basrah Organizes Workshop on Oral Candidiasis
The Marine Science Center at the University of Basrah organized a workshop entitled “Medical Mycology: Oral Candidiasis.”
The workshop aimed to enable participants to distinguish between normal oral conditions and fungal infections, accurately diagnose oral candidiasis through clinical and laboratory methods, and identify appropriate treatment approaches and the management of predisposing factors, such as immunodeficiency and the use of antibiotics.
The workshop, delivered by Dr. Reham Mohammed Mustafa, addressed the causative agent of oral candidiasis, its life cycle, and its pathogenic mechanisms, including adhesion, pseudohyphae formation, and enzyme production. It also discussed the disease’s risk factors among infants, older adults, immunocompromised patients, and individuals with cancer or diabetes, as well as users of inhaled corticosteroids or broad-spectrum antibiotics. Furthermore, the lecture reviewed the clinical forms of the disease, including pseudomembranous (thrush), atrophic (erythematous), and hyperplastic candidiasis, angular cheilitis, and denture-related stomatitis. In addition, it explained diagnostic methods, including clinical examination, direct microscopic examination, culture on Sabouraud medium, and, in rare cases, biopsy.
Department of Media and Government Communication