[Recent progress in molecular diagnosis of deep-seated mycoses].

Diagnosing deep-seated mycoses continues to be a major challenge for the clinician. The non-culture-dependent laboratory assay with high sensitivity and specificity are needed for rapid diagnosis of deep-seated mycoses. Future clinical mycology laboratories will increasingly utilize DNA-based methods for the recognition of pathogenic fungi in patient specimens and for the identification of fungal isolates. Over the last ten years, increasing numbers of papers were published which document the molecular biological methods feasible to detect fungus-specific DNA sequence in clinical specimens. The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and internal probes are central to these procedures. More recently, the non-isotopic in situ technique has been applied in the detection of pathogenic fungi. These methods have the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and hasten the institution of specific antifungal therapy. This article will review some of the recent advances in molecular diagnosis of fungal infections.