Standard antifungal therapy in neutropenic patients

Fungal infections are life-threatening complications in patients with prolo nged neutropenia. Amphotericin B, which is fungicidal and has a broad spect rum of antifungal activity, remains the current gold standard agent. Howeve r, because of its low therapeutic index, new lipid formulations of amphoter icin B have been developed with better tolerance and less toxicity. The use of 5-fluorocytosine is waning because of the medullar toxicity of this age nt. Fluconazole and itraconazole are both fungistatic and are more convenie nt for the treatment of fungal infections in haemodynamically stable patien ts. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherap y. All rights reserved.