Antifungal Therapy for Invasive Aspergillosis

Invasive aspergillosis is a lethal fungal infection that usually affects the lung cells of immunocompromised hosts. If left untreated, the disease can spread into other vital organs, including the brain and the heart. In recent years, the frequency of this fatal condition has increased significantly owing to greater numbers of patients with neutropenia, malignancies, organ transplants, or advanced AIDS. Antifungal agents continue to be the mainstay of treatment to reduce the fungal burden. Amphotericin B (AmB), a polyene antibiotic that previously was used to treat this condition, has produced variable responses and serious adverse effects. Current treatment options utilize different azole compounds, lipid formulations of AmB, and echinocandins. These newer broad-spectrum antifungals are well tolerated and produce desirable therapeutic outcomes.