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Introduction Yeast infections, particularly caused by Candida and Cryptococcus species, are a major clinical challenge, especially in immunocompromised patients. Rapid and accurate determination of antifungal susceptibility is crucial for guiding therapy. The E-test (Epsilometer test) is a widely used, simple, and reliable method for determining …
Introduction of Comparison: Multiplex PCR vs Blood Culture vs Biomarker Tests The diagnosis of invasive fungal infections remains a major clinical challenge, especially in high-risk patients such as those with cancer, transplants, or critical illness. Conventional blood culture is still the gold standard but suffers …
Introduction Yeast infections, particularly those caused by Candida and Cryptococcus species, are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in immunocompromised and oncology patients. Accurate antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) is essential for guiding appropriate therapy. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution …
Introduction Fungal bloodstream infections (fungemia) are life-threatening, especially in immunocompromised and oncology patients. Conventional methods like blood culture are slow, often requiring several days for growth and identification. Multiplex PCR directly on blood offers rapid, sensitive, and simultaneous detection of multiple fungal pathogens without the …
Introduction β-D-Glucan (BDG) is a polysaccharide component of the fungal cell wall, widely present in species such as Candida, Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Pneumocystis jirovecii. Since it is released into the bloodstream during invasive fungal infections (IFIs), detection of BDG has become a valuable non-culture-based diagnostic …
Introduction Blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungus responsible for blastomycosis, a potentially life-threatening systemic mycosis. It is often found in soil enriched with decaying organic matter, especially near rivers and lakes. Traditional diagnosis relies on culture, microscopy, or histopathology, which may take several weeks. To …
Introduction Blood cultures are the cornerstone for diagnosing fungemia, but while yeasts (Candida spp.) are frequently detected, molds are rarely recovered in blood culture systems. This is because most molds (Aspergillus, Mucorales) cause tissue-invasive disease without sustained fungemia. However, certain molds such as Fusarium spp. …
Introduction Yeasts, especially Candida and Cryptococcus species, are frequent causes of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. Determining their antifungal susceptibility is crucial for guiding effective therapy. While broth microdilution methods (CLSI/EUCAST) serve as reference standards, they are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Colorimetric antifungal susceptibility testing systems …