Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral malignancy and may occur in individuals without established risk habits. Candida species have been implicated as possible contributors to oral carcinogenesis; however, conflicting evidence and variability in diagnostic methods have resulted in uncertainty regarding their true role.
Purpose: The present study aimed to detect the presence of candida species in non-habit-associated OSCC and to comparatively evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) and calcofluor white staining methods.
Materials and Method: In this prospective case–control study, included 50 cases of non-habit-associated, histopathologically confirmed OSCC and 50 control samples. Tissue sections were subjected to PAS staining and calcofluor white fluorescent staining for the detection of candida species. Fluorescent evaluation was performed using a Radical RXLr5 fluorescence microscope. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test, with a significance level set at p Value < 0.05.
Results: PAS staining did not demonstrate the presence of candida in any OSCC or control samples. Calcofluor white staining detected candida in 2 (4%) OSCC cases, while all control samples were negative. The difference in candida detection between OSCC and control groups did not reach statistical significance (p> 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings indicate a low prevalence of intratissue candida in non-habit-associated OSCC. Calcofluor white staining demonstrated greater sensitivity than PAS in detecting sparse fungal elements, suggesting its potential role as an adjunctive diagno-stic tool. However, the limited detection observed supports the view that candida is more likely a secondary colonizer or co-factor rather than a primary etiological agent in OSCC.