<s>[INST] hello, m madhavi, intern at JLN hospital, my father is having dull pain at right hypochondriac and periumblical region off and on since six months. pain was prominent before meals.endoscopy was done which revealed esophageal candidiasis and fluconazole*14 days OD was given but pain is still persisting and increasing in frequency. plz guide me about the illness: diagnosis and treatment. [/INST] welcome to ChatDoctori had gone through your fathers history and I can understand your concern towards your dad Madeira, Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by yeasts from the genus Candida. Candida albicans is the predominant cause of the disease. Esophageal candidiasisPatients with esophageal candidiasis may be asymptomatic or may have 1 or more of the following symptoms:Normal oral mucosa (>50% of patients)DysphagiaOdynophagiaRetrosternal painEpigastric painNausea and vomitingTreatment 1 Esophageal Candidiasis requires systemic therapy with fluconazole for 14- 21 days.2 Parenteral therapy with fluconazole may be required initially if the patient is unable to take oral medications. 3 Daily suppressive antifungal therapy with fluconazole 100-200 mg/d is effective for preventing recurrent episodes, but it should be used only if the recurrences become frequent or are associated with malnutrition due to poor oral intake and wasting syn Chat Doctor.  4 Recommended alternatives for fluconazole-refractory disease include itraconazole, voriconazole, caspofungin, micafungin, anidulafungin, and amphoteric B. I hope I have cleared your query thank you take care </s>