[Biological diagnosis of pulmonary parasitoses and mycoses]

Pulmonary involvement in parasitic disease is now due above all to the visceral Larva migrans syndrome, the diagnosis of which is serological, and to imported distomatosis due to Paragonimus sp, confirmed by the discovery of eggs in the sputum. An immature immunological status or immunodepression is necessary for the development of Pneumocystis carinii, where all of the stages of diagnosis, including that of the obtaining of sample material, are difficult. Pulmonary mycoses are represented above all by candidiosis, aspergillosis and rarely cryptococcosis which also commonly occur in the presence of an impaired underlying state. Diagnosis of these opportunistic fungi is sometimes difficult and it is necessary to take all clinical, laboratory and immunological data together in order to obtain confirmation.