Treatment of oral candidiasis by 805 nanometer diode

Abstract EN

In a prospective study at the Surgical Specialty Hospi¬tal, Medical City Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, 30 immuno¬compromised patients with oral candidiasis (thrush) of the longue were treated with diode laser irradiation, antifungal antibiotics or ordinary light irradiation as a placebo.

A fungicidal effect was achieved in those treated by irradia¬tion with 805 nm wavelength semiconductor diode laser using a power of 1W and continuous working mode for 3 minutes for 5 consecutive days, and also in those treated with antimycotics but the laser treatment was shorter (5 days) compared to the antimycotic treatment (10-21 days) and was used successfully in a renal transplant patient without interference with the drug regimen.

It is concluded that light from a low power laser may be valuable in the treatment of oral candidiasis, especially in immunocom¬promised patients where the rate of recurrence is high and development of resistant strains is a possibility.