Fungal Diagnostics: A Practical Approach

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are emerging infectious diseases that carry high morbidity and mortality especially among immunosuppressed and critically ill patients. Early initiation of antifungal treatment has been shown to improve treatment outcome. Suspicion of IFIs in the right clinical setting is the key to pursue appropriate investigations and establish diagnosis. Gold standard culture-based diagnostic tests have low sensitivity and specificity. The utility of both culture-based and non-culture-based diagnostic methods in current clinical practice is reviewed here. Understanding the advantages and limitations of each of these methods will help the clinician to determine the right tool for patient diagnosis and management.