Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-European Fungal Infections

Abstract In light of the growing at-risk population (HIV-infected patients, transplant recipients, cancer patients, and other immunocompromised individuals), the accurate and prompt diagnosis of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) is imperative in order to reduce the risk of death and/or misdiagnosis. In this context, greater knowledge of the epidemiology and clinical features of IFIs is critical, since other factors such as travel, place of residence, and recreational activities may influence the timing for proper diagnosis of endemic IFIs such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, penicilliosis, chromoblastomycosis, African histoplasmosis, lobomycosis, sporotrichosis, and basidiobolomycosis. The first step is an awareness of these IFIs in the at-risk population; the second is choosing the diagnostic method with the best opportunity to correctly identify the IFI; and the third is determining the best therapeutic option, as there are options currently available other than amphotericin B deoxycholate.
Source: Current Fungal Infection Reports - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research