Mycoses in immunocompromised patients. An histopathologic study of 61 cases.

The histopathologic pattern of secondary mycoses in 61 immunocompromised patients is presented. The underlying diseases were: neoplasms, organ transplants, AIDS and a variety of other debilitating diseases. Three patients with AIDS had a double fungal infection. Candida spp. accounted for the majority of deep-seated mycoses, with 27 cases (44.2%); disseminated candidiasis was responsible of 18.5% of these patients death. Aspergillosis was seen in 23 subjects (37.7%), 18 of them (78.2%) died for systemic infection. These patients were severely debilitated by disease and/or iatrogenic procedures. The other fungal infections were: actinomycosis (10 cases), gerotrichosis (2 cases), histoplasmosis (1 case) and cerebral phaeohyphomycosis (1 case).