Cynthia, YES, adults can and do get oral thrush, in fact, it is fairly common
among elderly patients.  However, "your" moms description doesn't sound like
thrush.  White, cheesy or chunky places on the tonsils, in my experience, are
usually dried pockets of pus from tonsilitis.  If you culture one, you will
probably get "no growth" because it is dry and no longer active.  Suggest she
get a full throat culture instead, although, sometimes, by the time these
places are apparent, the active infection has passed.
Good Luck,
Denny Rice, RN, IBCLC
Dallas, Texas, USA

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