title: Current therapeutic approaches to fungal infections in immunocompromised hematological patients.
abstract: Invasive fungal infections are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological malignancies. Patients with acute myeloid leukemia and those who have undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are at especially high risk. Various fungal agents are responsible for this complication, but Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp. are the most frequently isolated micro-organisms; less commonly, infections could be caused by Zygomycetes or other rare molds or yeasts. Several new systemically-administered antifungal agents have been approved for clinical use since 2001; these agents include liposomal amphotericin B, voriconazole, caspofungin, and posaconazole, and they represent a major advance in antifungal therapy and have improved the prognosis of patients with hematological malignancies. This review focuses on therapeutic aspects of the management of fungal infections in hematological patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ematologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, Rome, Italy. lpagano@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Morena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caira
authors.forename: Caterina Giovanna
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: Brunella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Posteraro
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fianchi
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents