[Current topics in mycology]

There is an urgent need of in vitro test methods with a good in vivo predictability both for the search of new antimycotics moderate in price and for the susceptibility testing of yeasts in antimycotic therapy. We discuss the problems of agar dilution test methods. Usually, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) is measured. This parameter does not only depend on the susceptibility of the test fungus, but is greatly influenced by other factors such as inoculum size, incubation time, and culture medium. Thus the MIC of azoles can vary considerably. Moreover, the current test methods are not adjusted to the different ways of fungus growing in vitro and in vivo.