The Light and Shadow of Medical Mycology from the Perspective of a Return to the Origin

Medical mycology is a traditional field of medicine that has developed over a long history through the contributions of numerous researchers and clinicians. This paper focuses on the most influential individuals, discoveries, and inventions within the field, examining the development of medical mycology from the perspective of a return to its origins, including on-site investigations. This return to origins is not merely a historical retrospective but also an effort to reevaluate and deepen our understanding through practical research, aiming to explore the foundational studies that marked the beginning of medical mycology and its related disciplines. Furthermore, this paper highlights the conceptual meaning of the "light and shadow" of medical mycology. While the field has made substantial progress, it has often been overshadowed by the remarkable achievements of other disciplines, such as botany, symbolized by Linnaeus, and bacteriology, represented by Koch. This study attempts to reassess the history and significance of medical mycology. Additionally, it examines the resurgence of medical mycology and the dramatic paradigm shift triggered by a single publication from the United States. Through these considerations, this paper aims to provide a long-term and multidimensional reexamination of the progress of medical mycology.