05 MW4102 pp.477-481

Fungal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Oral candidosis is the most common opportunistic infection in human patients infected with HIV and AIDS. , 2 Paralleling the increased prevalence of fungal infections has been the introduction of new antifungal agents and the recognition of resistance. The chronic use of azoles for prophylaxis in systemic mycoses in bone marrow transplant patients and as longterm suppressive therapy in AIDS patients are factors in the selection of isolates that are more resistant to azole t h e r a p y . – 6 Consequently, there is a greater need for a reproducible susceptibility testing method as a guide to selecting and monitoring antifungal therapy. , 7 , 8 In recent years, numerous susceptibility test methods have been evaluated for testing of C a n d i d a spp. and other yeast isolates. , 1 0