New developments in the diagnosis of opportunistic fungal infection

This review considers recent developments in the diagnosis of aspergillosis, candidosis and cryptococcosis and discusses the prospects for routine application of a number of novel methods. The introduction of lysis-centrifugation and radiometric methods for blood culture has improved the diagnosis of deep candidosis, but the value of these methods for the diagnosis of aspergillosis has not yet been determined. Recent developments in serological diagnosis have included the evaluation of newly discovered antigens of Candida albicans in an attempt to distinguish colonization from significant infection. Antigen detection, an established method for the diagnosis of cryptococcosis, has also been evaluated and appears promising for the diagnosis of aspergillosis and candidosis. Another promising approach has been the use of gas-liquid chromatography to detect fungal metabolites in serum and other host fluids.