Invasive fungal infections in cancer patients are on the increase. Candidemia is now the fourth leading cause of bloodstream infections in many intensive care units (ICUs). Although a number of risk factors have been identified, antifungal therapy should not be started in non-neutropenic patients until a diagnosis of invasive candidiasis or candidemia is made or presumed in order to avoid the d...

Invasive fungal infections remain a life threatening complication in children with hematological malignancies. The brain represents a common site of hematogenously disseminated infections from an extracranial focus. We report our experience in the diagnosis, radiological aspects and therapeutic approach of fungal brain abscesses in 2 children receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leuke...

Background. According to immunological deficit the period after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can be divided in three phases: aplastic phase, phase of acute GVHD, and phase of chronic GVHD. Fungal infections are predominant in first, aplastic phase. Deep neutropenia and implantation of central venous catheter are two major risk factors contributing to infection. Aim. To retrosp...

BACKGROUND Invasive fungal infections are very severe infections associated with high mortality rates, despite the availability of new classes of antifungal agents. Based on pathophysiological mechanisms and limited pre-clinical and clinical data, adjunctive immune-stimulatory therapy with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) may represent a promising candidate to improve outcome of invasive fungal infecti...

Fungal infections of the nose and paranasal sinuses represent a spectrum of diseases ranging from colonization to invasive rhinosinusitis. Clinical manifestations are largely dependent on the immune status of the host, and given the ubiquitous nature of these organisms, exposure is unavoidable. Noninvasive disease includes asymptomatic fungal colonization, fungus balls, and allergic fungal rhin...

Fungi belong amongst the severest pathogens of humans, animals, and plants. For example, Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. account for most invasive mycoses, and such infections are associated with high rates of mortality in hematology and oncology patients. Worrisomely, it has been estimated that 4% of all patients who die in hospitals die of invasive aspergillosis and 2% die of candidiasis [1...

Correspondence Table 1. Numbers needed to treat (NNTs) with posaconazole prophylaxis to prevent invasive fungal infection and death.

The diagnosis of invasive fungal infections from radiographic imaging is non-specific and problematic. As a first step toward increasing specificity, we describe the development of a broad-spectrum fungal-specific targeting molecule, which when modified with a fluorescent label fully retains its targeting properties, and provides a basis for future imaging applications.

Most fungi live harmlessly in the environment, but some species can cause disease in the human host. Nurses working in primary care are likely to see patients with superficial fungal infections and are well placed to offer advice about treatment and measures to prevent the spread of infection in the home. Patients with weakened immune function admitted to hospital are at high risk of developing...