RT Book, Section A1 Adams, Ann A1 Gill, Ritu R. A1 McNamee, Ciaran J. A2 Sugarbaker, David J. A2 Bueno, Raphael A2 Colson, Yolonda L. A2 Jaklitsch, Michael T. A2 Krasna, Mark J. A2 Mentzer, Steven J. A2 Williams, Marcia A2 Adams, Ann SR Print(0) ID 1105844180 T1 Surgical Treatment of Thoracic Fungal Infections T2 Adult Chest Surgery, 2e YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-178189-3 LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1105844180 RD 2024/10/04 AB Thoracic fungal infections have a complex and variable presentation, ranging from benign self-limited processes, which spontaneously resolve, to severe life-threatening infections associated with disabling morbidity and high mortality. Persistent fungal infections in normal individuals may either resolve without producing symptoms, or worsen leading to severe complications of hemoptysis, mediastinal fibrosis, empyema, and meningitis. Immune-compromised hosts demonstrate greater susceptibility to fungi than normal individuals and have more severe outcomes including vascular invasion, septicemia with fungal dissemination, organ infarction, and death. Adding to this complexity, the epidemiology of fungal disease is constantly changing as species emerge or relocate or increase in virulence. Early intervention can improve survival and in some cases obviate the necessity of surgery. It is critical therefore to recognize the clinical manifestations of thoracic fungal infection early in its clinical course. Fortunately, recent advances in knowledge concerning fungal biology including the functional genome, the structure of the cell wall and membrane, and the use of molecular and epidemiologic techniques have led to rapid identification of pathogens and the institution of effective, less toxic antifungal agents.1