Thrush

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Candida, flourescent stain

Mouth anatomy

Candidiasis - oral; Oral thrush

Thrush appears as whitish, velvety plaques in the mouth and on the tongue. Underneath the whitish material, there is red tissue that may bleed. The lesions can slowly increase in number and size.

If you are immunocompromised (for example, you are HIV positive or receiving chemotherapy), the infection can spread to other organs, like the esophagus (causing pain with swallowing), or throughout your body, which can be fatal.

Your doctor or dentist can almost always diagnose thrush by looking at your mouth and tongue. These fungal lesions have a distinct appearance. If not entirely clear, one of the following tests may be performed to look for the candida organisms:

• Microscopic examination of mouth scrapings
• Culture of mouth lesions

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Angelique Green, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, UCSF School of Medicine, Director of Urgent Care Center, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.