Diagnostic Tools in Fungal Infections Since Classical to Molecular Era

Human fungal diseases are largely a 20th and 21st century’s phenomenon. Due to use of corticosteroids and antibacterial drug, medical developmenta are associated with increased risk for number of fungal disease. These nosocomial developments in invasive mycosis were paralleled over the last two decades by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic, which has resulted in an even larger number of patients at risk for fungal diseases. In the past, the differentiation of fungal pathogens was based on the characteristics of morphology and physiology. Today, by the use of molecular biology and conserved nucleotide sequences of subunits and the spacer regions of ribosomal DNA identification of the species level is possible. Rapid, accurate and sensitive methods are important tools in treatment of fungal infections. Unfortunately the classical diagnostic method based on morphology and staining is stable, the transitional of medical mycology into the molecular era has probably been more important for fungal epidemiology than for any other area inside the field of clinical mycology. The most challenging tasks ahead consist of how to apply our knowledge of pathobiology and new identification systems obtained in the recent molecular era to the prevention of and therapeutic intervention for fungal diseases and management of patient.