RT Book, Section
A1 Edwards, John E.
A2 Kasper, Dennis L.
A2 Fauci, Anthony S.
SR Print(0)
ID 1141412532
T1 DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF FUNGAL INFECTIONS
T2 Harrison's Infectious Diseases, 3e
YR 2017
FD 2017
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781259835971
LK accessbiomedicalscience.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1141412532
RD 2024/04/25
AB Traditionally,  fungal  infections  have  been  classified  into  specific  categories  based  on  both  anatomic  location  and  epidemiology.  The  most  common  general  anatomic  categories  are  mucocutaneous  and  deep  organ  infection;  the  most  common  general  epidemiologic  categories  are  endemic  and  opportunistic  infection.  Although  mucocutaneous  infections  can  cause  serious  morbidity,  they  are  rarely  fatal.  Deep  organ  infections  also  cause  severe  illness  in  many  cases  and,  in  contrast  to  mucocutaneous  infections,  are  often  fatal.  The  endemic  mycoses  (e.g.,  coccidioidomycosis)  are  caused  by  fungal  organisms  that  are  not  part  of  the  normal  human  microbiota  but  rather  are  acquired  from  environmental  sources.  In  contrast,  opportunistic  mycoses  are  caused  by  organisms  (e.g.,  Candida  and  Aspergillus)  that  commonly  are  components  of  the  normal  human  microbiota  and  whose  ubiquity  in  nature  renders  them  easily  acquired  by  the  immunocompromised  host  (Table  110-1).  Opportunistic  fungi  cause  serious  infections  when  the  immunologic  response  of  the  host  becomes  ineffective,  allowing  the  organisms  to  transition  from  harmless  commensals  to  invasive  pathogens.  Frequently,  the  diminished  effectiveness  of  the  immune  system  is  a  result  of  advanced  modern  therapies  that  coincidentally  either  cause  an  imbalance  in  the  host’s  microbiota  or  directly  interfere  with  immunologic  responses.  Endemic  mycoses  cause  more  severe  illness  in  immunocompromised  patients  than  in  immunocompetent  individuals.