The skin as the possible reservoir for Candida albicans in the oculocutaneous candidiasis of heroin addicts

We describe 2 patients who injected themselves with the same brown heroin a few days before hospitalization. The first patient presented with characteristic oculo-cutaneous candidiasis. Blood samples remained sterile during the so-called 'septicemic syndrome' which represents the first phase of this syndrome and were positive for Candida albicans only when cutaneous nodules developed. The second patient was hospitalized for a stomach perforation and had no cutaneous or ocular candida involvement. Both patients were unusually colonized by C. albicans on their skin (particularly on hairy zones). These observations support the hypothesis that the skin may constitute the reservoir for C. albicans in oculo-cutaneous candidiasis.