In vitro susceptibilities were determined for 56 Candida albicans isolates obtained from the oral cavities of 41 patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. The agents tested included fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, flucytosine, and amphotericin B. MICs were determined by the broth microdilution technique following National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards document M27-P (M27-P micro), a broth microdilution technique using high-resolution medium (HR micro), and the Etest with solidified yeast-nitrogen base agar. The in vitro findings were correlated with in vivo response to fluconazole therapy for oropharyngeal candidiasis. For all C. albicans isolates from patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis not responding to fluconazole MICs were found to be > or = 6.25 micrograms/ml by the M27-P micro method and > or = 25 micrograms/ml by the HR micro method as well as the Etest. However, for several C. albicans isolates from patients who responded to fluconazole therapy MICs found to be above the suggested breakpoints of resistance. The appropriate rank order of best agreement between the M27-P micro method and HR micro method was amphotericin B > fluconazole > flucytosine > ketoconazole > itraconazole. The appropriate rank order with best agreement between the M27-P micro method and the Etest was flucytosine > amphotericin B > fluconazole > ketoconazole > or = itraconazole. It could be concluded that a good correlation between in vitro resistance and clinical failure was found with all methods. However, the test methods used in this study did not necessarily predict clinical response to therapy with fluconazole.