Which group of patients is most likely to develop candida esophagitis?

Candida esophagitis is primarily associated with immunocompromised states, making individuals with HIV particularly susceptible. The condition arises due to the overgrowth of the Candida species in the esophagus, which occurs when the body’s immune response is weakened. In HIV patients, the virus significantly impairs the immune system, especially as the disease progresses and CD4 counts decline, leading to increased vulnerability to opportunistic infections like candidiasis.

While diabetic individuals and smokers can also have an increased risk for fungal infections due to various factors (like elevated glucose levels in diabetes or compromised mucosal barriers in smokers), they do not exhibit the same level of systemic immune deficiency as seen in HIV-infected patients. Pregnant women may experience changes in their immune system, but they are not in the same severe immunocompromised category that characterizes HIV patients. Thus, among the groups listed, those with HIV are the most likely to develop candida esophagitis due to their significant increase in opportunistic infections as a result of immunosuppression.