Fungal infections

General Remarks The systemic and ocular mycoses of humans are caused by fungi that are pathogenic and incite disease in the healthy host and other opportunistic fungi that produce disease in patients whose immune defenses are impaired. With an expanding population of individuals with acquired immunodeficiencies, fungi play an increasingly common role as causative agents of systemic and ocular infections. The increased detection of fungal infections is partly due to heightened clinical awareness and to improved laboratory diagnostic techniques with better reporting. Other factors cited as partially responsible for an increased involvement of fungi in ocular infections include the widespread use of antibiotics, immunosuppressive therapy, chemotherapeutic agents, and a variety of ocular prosthetic devices, including, contact lenses, punctal occlusive plugs, aqueous humor, shunt tubing, intraocular lenses, and scleral buckling materials.