The Presence of Yeast-like Fungi on Maxillary Prostheses with Obturators and in Post Surgical Cavities in Patients Operated on for Maxillary Neoplasms

Wieckiewicz, Wlodzimierz; Baran, Eugeniusz; Plonka, Bogumil; Proniewicz, Alina

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Majority of people have yeast-like fungi on their oral mucosa. In the case of a neoplastic disease and the use of a prosthesis with obturator, the incidence of fungi increases. OBJECTIVE: To prove the presence of yeast-like fungi prior to and after lining of the prosthesis obturator and after the use of Betadina and Silosept. Swabs were taken from the post surgical cavities and the prosthesis obturators and cultured on Sabouraud agar with gentamicin and chloramphenicol (SGC) and on IDII medium manufactured by Bio Merieux, France. METHODS: The material comprised 25 patients after removal of various maxillary tumors. All the patients had prostheses with obturators. The prostheses were disinfected with 2% solution of Silosept while the mucous membrane of the post surgical cavities was covered with 0.5% Betadina gel. RESULTS: Swab cultures taken prior to the treatment revealed the growth of C. albicans in the post surgical cavity of 80% of patients and on the prosthesis obturator in 76% of cases. C. species was found on both, the prosthesis obturator and in the post surgical cavity in 64% of patients. Mycological examination of the fungi isolated from the swab after lining of the prosthesis obturator and after the application of Betadina and Silosept revealed the presence of C. albicans on the prosthesis obturator and in the post surgical cavity in 68% of patients. Candida species was revealed in the post surgical cavity in 84% of cases and on the prosthesis obturator in 88% of patients. CONCLUSION: The presence of yeast-like fungi in post surgical cavity and on the prosthesis obturator was confirmed in about 90% of cases. The fungi may be predisposed to the inflammatory conditions, which may contribute to the neoplastic metaplasia. Applied concentrations of Betadina and Silosept preparations proved ineffective in the eradication of the fungi, that is why further investigation is necessary in order to determine effective concentrations of the above agents and/or search for other effective measures.