ABSTRACT
Introduction Invasive fungal infections remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In developed countries the majority of infections occur in the setting of the immunocompromised host, and this patient group is on the increase because major developments in high-technology medicine allow treatment for an ever-increasing range of medical and surgical conditions. In particular, high-dependency care for neonates, the elderly and a range of critically ill individuals, cytotoxic chemotherapy for an increasing range of malignancies, and bone marrow and solid organ transplantation are all contributing to increasingly large numbers of patient groups at risk of developing an invasive fungal infection.
