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 2024/04/18
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