Hanyang Med Rev.  2006 Nov;26(4):25-33.

Opportunistic Fungal Infection

• Chang MS
• Woo JH

Abstract

Two decades witnessed the progress of medicine especially the diagnosis and management of fungal infection in the immunocompromised hosts using microbiology, molecular biology, and imaging techniques such as computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. And the incidence of fungal infection increased as the number of organ transplant, AIDS, and chemotherapy with malignant neoplasm enlarged, but the contents of fungal infection altered from conventional Candida albicans to non-albicans Candida, less-well known mold and yeast. Furthermore, the resistance to antifungal agents appeared, became widely distributed, and it is now necessary to perform the fungal susceptibility test in the diagnostic laboratory. The fungal resistance test, for the time being, can only be speculated. Still candidiasis, cryptococcosis, aspergillosis, and mucormycosis outnumbered other unusual fungal infections and physicians take the opportunistic fungal infection into account in cases for the immunocompromied host based on the knowledge of newer antifungal agents such as liposomal amphotericin B, caspofungin, voriconazole, and so on.

Keyword

Opportunistic fungal infection; Candidiasis; Cryptococcosis; Aspergillosis; Mucormycosis

MeSH Terms

Amphotericin B
Antifungal Agents
Aspergillosis
Candida
Candida albicans
Candidiasis
Cryptococcosis
Diagnosis
Drug Therapy
Fungi
Immunocompromised Host
Incidence
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Molecular Biology
Mucormycosis
Transplants
Yeasts
Amphotericin B
Antifungal Agents