Candida balanitis

Soorbalanitis, balanitis candidamycetica, balanoposthitis candidamycetica.

Fungal infection of the glans penis, as well as the foreskin, triggered by Candida spp.

• Pathogen: Candida spp. (mostly Candida albicans, C. glabrata also occurs).
• Infection with Candida occurs, for example, during sexual intercourse - women in particular often have Candida colonisation in the vagina.
• Predisposition factors
  • Topical therapy with external steroids or antibiotic ointments.
  • Hygiene (lack of or excessive)
  • Phimosis
  • Lichen sclerosus et atrophicans
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Immune suppression

• Initial pruritus.
• Erythematous, pruritic, slightly scaly, weeping macules.
• The erythema then becomes two-dimensional and rich red-moist shiny.
• Vesicles and erosions may also occur.
• Similar to thrush stomatitis, there may be the white stipples that form irregular whitish deposits after a period of time.
• However, with otherwise adequate hygiene, one tends to see a minimal variant, i.e. only redness, but the whitish fungal materials are washed or -cleaned away in each case.

• Anamnesis (predisposition factors).
• Clinical.
• Myco.smear.
• Stool examination for Candida.

• Glans penis
• Foreskin
• Shaft left out

During the course of the disease, there may be inflammatory swelling of the inner prepuce leaf to the point of inflammatory phimos and stronger purulent secretion as a result of secondary bacterial infection.

Good hygiene.

Frequent recurrences.

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2. Stary A, Soeltz-Szoets J, Ziegler C, Kinghorn GR, Roy RB. Comparison of the efficacy and safety of oral fluconazole and topical clotrimazole in patients with candida balanitis. Genitourin Med 1996;72:98-102.
3. Waugh MA, Evans EG, Nayyar KC, Fong R. Clotrimazole (Canesten) in the treatment of candidal balanitis in men. With incidental observations on diabetic candidal balanoposthitis. Br J Vener Dis 1978;54:184-6.
4. Verma SB, Wollina U. Looking through the cracks of diabetic candidal balanoposthitis! Int J Gen Med 2011;4:511-3.
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7. Braun-Falco`s Dermatologie Venerologie und Allergologie, 6. Auflage
8. Edwards et. al. 2013 European guideline for the management of balanoposthitis. Int J STD AIDS. 2014 Aug;25(9):615-26.