title: Risk assessment and prognostic factors for mould-related diseases in immunocompromised patients.
abstract: Invasive fungal diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Patients with haematological malignancies and solid cancers, as well as those with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplants, are at high risk of developing such an infection. Many fungi can cause invasive disease, with Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp. being the prevalent fungal pathogens infecting susceptible patients. During the past few years, rare moulds (for example Zygomycetes and Fusarium spp.) have come into focus as the cause of devastating clinical disease. This review aims to analyse environmental factors and parameters related to impairment of the immune system that are thought to favour the onset of invasive mould infections. Some moulds are quite common among all categories of patients, while others appear to be limited to a given subset of patients, such as allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell or solid organ transplant recipients. In addition to an exploration of factors that predispose patients to the acquisition of an invasive mould infection, prognostic factors that help to predict the eventual outcome of these infections are identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, I-00168 Rome, Italy. lpagano@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akova
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dimopoulos
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herbrecht
authors.forename: Lubos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Drgona
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Blijlevens
mesh_terms: D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014180:Transplantation
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents