Think Mycology!

Diagnosis of fungal infections demands skilled work with direct examination, fungal culture, and interpretation of macroscopic and microscopic features of the fungus as keystones of the diagnosis. We believe that medical mycology is often being treated in a stepmotherly fashion in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Drawing conclusions based on the fact that some diseases are considered never to occur in certain regions can be very dangerous. Migration, travel, possible modification of environmental circumstances and geo-ecological changes may all interfere with our endemic medical landscape. Lack of knowledge of “exotic” or “poverty-associated” diseases may lead to a significant delay in diagnosis. Nevertheless, fungal infections are emerging diseases, and lack of knowledge in the field of medical mycology is a major threat to adequate mycological diagnosis and patient management. To illustrate the importance of good mycological thinking, we present several unusual cases, all diagnosed in “ordinary” regional hospitals.