Determination of oral microflora in irradiated ocular deformed children.

Children with a retinoblastoma usually have enucleation of eye contents and undergo radiation therapy. In this group of children a slight deformation in facial growth is exhibited on the operated side. The radiation affects the oral microflora. This study was conducted to investigate the oral microflora in this group of patients compared to normal children. Nineteen children, ages 4-15 years, were tested for oral microflora by culture. A control group was comprised of 20 normal healthy children from a primary school in Bangkok, Thailand. Paraffin-stimulated whole saliva was collected and cultured for the presence of mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and Candida species. The isolation frequencies and abundances of lactobacilli and Candida species in saliva samples of irradiated children were significantly greater than healthy children. The mutans streptococci counts were significantly different from healthy controls. Radiation therapy may have had some influence on the oral ecology of these patients, so had a higher risk of caries and candidiasis than the healthy controls. Therefore, comprehensive preventive measures should be taken in these children.