ABSTRACT
Invasive mycoses are major causes of infectious morbidity and mortality, particularly in immuno-compromised or debilitated hosts. The rapid progression of disease in such susceptible populations makes an early and accurate diagnosis essential for optimum patient management and therapy. However, the signs and symptoms of fungal diseases are often nonspecific, making accurate clinical diagnosis difficult. Recent advances in computerized imaging technology have served to improve the diagnosis of many fungal infections but the utility of even such sophisticated methods still depends on the presence of often rare, pathognomonic disease characteristics.
