Fungal Infection in the Compromised Patient

Opportunistic fungal infections, such as cryptococcosis and mucosal forms of candidosis, have since emerged as major problems in AIDS patients. Classical infections, such as histoplasmosis and the dermatophytoses, have appeared in modified forms in these individuals. Much else besides has changed - the use of more intensive chemotherapeutic regimens has contributed to a rising incidence of serious fungal infection among cancer patients. On the other hand, more sophisticated management of immunosuppression has resulted in fewer infectious complications among organ transplant recipients. Improved methods of diagnosis and new antifungal drugs have appeared, but an ever-increasing number of new fungal pathogens have been isolated from immunosuppressed patients.;The aim of this monograph is to bring together in a single account the clinical, mycological, immunological and therapeutic aspects of the different fungal infections that occur in the compromised patient. The opening chapter outlines the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of fungal infection, followed by a chapter focusing on the factors that predispose the compromised patient to fungal infection. This chapter also gathers together certain aspects of management, such as empirical treatment and prevention of infection.;Individual chapters deal in turn with each of the more frequent infections that occur in the compromised patient and an additional chapter brings together information on a number of the less common infections that have been reported. There is a new chapter describing the manifestations of the various superficial infections in the compromised host. The final chapter reviews the serological methods used in the diagnosis of fungal infection.