We have reviewed the efficacy of the use of fluconazole in patients with definitely proven Candida esophagitis (CE) associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, using a single 400 mg oral dose of fluconazole and evaluating the patient three days afterwards. This drug showed to be effective for the clinical and endoscopic cure in all patients (100%), and with microbiological cure in ten cases. There was no clinical feature of toxicity. The only side effect was an increased alkaline phosphatase and transaminase activity without hyperbilirubinemia, but this finding was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.05). Fluconazole, given in a single 400 mg dose, was absolutely effective to cure esophagitis in AIDS, thus permitting to avoid parenteral amphotericin.