Pathology · patient case question
Her inhaler use makes her particularly susceptible to which oral condition?
Patient case: 14-year-old with asthma and a nut allergy
Patient: 14-year-old girl attending with her mother.
Chief complaint: Her mother says she is unhappy with the appearance of her teeth.
History: Asthma managed with albuterol. Reported allergy to nuts. Otherwise healthy.
Findings: Mild crowding of the maxillary anterior teeth. No caries. No mucosal lesions at present.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Oral candidiasis
- A. Inhaler-associated xerostomia does raise caries risk generally, but the specific and classic association tested here is candidiasis.
- B. Geographic tongue is a benign migratory glossitis with no link to inhalers.
- C. Fluorosis results from excess fluoride during tooth development, long before and unrelated to inhaler use.
- D. CORRECT. Inhaled medication, especially corticosteroid inhalers, predisposes to oropharyngeal CANDIDIASIS through local immunosuppression and drug deposition on the mucosa. That is precisely why rinsing after use is advised.