Comparison of the efficacy of indocyanine green-mediated photodynamic therapy and nystatin therapy in treatment of denture stomatitis

Background: Candida species have an influence in the pathogenesis of denture stomatitis. The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of indocyanine green (ICG)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) in combination with nystatin mouthwash (PDT + nystatin) for the treatment of denture stomatitis in comparison with routine antifungal therapy with nystatin alone. Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 66 patients were randomly assigned into PDT + nystatin (n = 33) and nystatin (n = 33) groups, both groups were treated 3-times a day (15 days) with nystatin mouthwash, and PDT was performed twice once a week for the PDT + nystatin group. Briefly, ICG was applied on the palatal lesion and laser irradiation was performed using a diode laser (810 nm, 56 J/cm(2)). Nystatin group was also treated with sham laser in order to eliminate the possible psychological effects. The clinical and mycological evaluations were carried out at the baseline, during treatment, and the end of follow-up. Patients who completed the treatment and follow-up were eligible for statistical analysis (each group 28 cases). Results: Patient treatment with nystatin or PDT + nystatin reduced the lesions extension. Candida species were isolated from all patients and the number of Candida CFU in both groups showed a significant reduction at each post-treatment visit; however, the mean reduction achieved in the PDT + nystatin group was significantly higher than nystatin alone. Conclusions: ICG-mediated PDT in combination with nystatin mouthwash can improve the clinical feature of denture stomatitis with no adverse effects; therefore, it could be used as an alternative to the currently available antifungal therapy using nystatin alone.