Clinico-Cytological Study of Fungal Elements in the Buccal Smears of Prediabetic, Diabetic, and Nondiabetic Individuals in Association with Burning Sensation

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that may have profound effects on oral mucosa being prone to infections, particularly candidiasis. In healthy individuals, the candida is a commensal, but in diabetic patients, it forms severe colonization, even in the absence of any clinically evident lesion and may cause a burning sensation of the mouth. This study aims to identify the presence or absence of fungal elements in buccal smears of nondiabetic, prediabetic, and diabetic individuals and to correlate the presence or absence of burning sensation in the oral cavity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of ninety individuals were selected for the study and divided into Group 1 – thirty cases of diabetics, Group 2 – thirty cases of prediabetic patients, and Group 3 – thirty cases of nondiabetic individuals. Detailed case history and thorough intra and extraoral examination were recorded. The buccal smears were cultured in Sabouraud dextrose agar, subcultured in HiCrome™ agar, observed for the colonies of fungal elements, and were analyzed for species differentiation. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between the presence of fungal elements and burning sensation in diabetic individuals, whereas it was not the case in the nondiabetic and prediabetic individuals. CONCLUSION: Candida colonization is one among a factor in diabetic individuals related with burning sensation of the mouth.