Infectious esophagitis in the immunosuppressed: Candida and beyond

Infection is the second most common cause of esophagitis, second only to gastroesophageal reflux, and represents a clinically important disorder. Immunosuppressed patients are at highest risk for infectious esophagitis, with CANDIDA, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus being the most common causative microorganisms. Here we provide a brief clinical review and present a case of concomitant oropharyngeal and presumed esophageal candidiasis in a patient with autoimmune hepatitis who was initiated on high-dose corticosteroid therapy and soon thereafter develop odynodysphagia and who was found to have herpes esophagitis diagnosed by endoscopy and histopathology.