The diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases: current status and future perspectives
侵袭性真菌病的诊断:现状与展望

During the last 20 years, significant progress had generated in numerous regions of medical science. However, the worldwide incidence or mortality of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are still increasing remarkably, and being a serious threat to human health. Absence of typically clinical manifestations and optimal therapy options of IFDs lead to high mortality and morbidity of these infections worldwide. So earlier and specific diagnosis can distinctly improve the prognosis of IFDs. Despite the limitations of the morphological methods, represented by culture or pathology, they are still the gold standard of diagnostic invasive fungal diseases at present. The serological and imaging test such as G/GM test or high resolution CT deserved to be vigorously promoted in the clinical diagnosis; Although its clinical application is still long way to go, nucleic acid diagnostics based on PCR technology is likely to have a bright perspectives. Currently, combination and improvement of the current methods such as morphological methods, serological methods and advanced imaging technology is the best and most realistic approach to the diagnosis of IFDs in clinics.